Does Argentina depend too much on Messi? – Tuchel eases worries

During the match between England and Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, coach Thomas Tuchel spoke up to defend Harry Kane, after his team could not score and ended the match with a 0-0 draw. This match took place on Tuesday, and England will now have to wait until next Saturday's match against Panama to qualify for the knockout round. The team led by Carlos Queiroz had a good performance, holding their defense against England's attacks.

Notably, England controlled the ball up to 78.8%, which is the highest rate in a World Cup match ever without scoring a goal. This team also took 19 shots, but this was the first time they did not score in a World Cup match since the 0-0 draw with Nigeria in 2002. In contrast, Ghana had only two shots, the fewest number of shots in a match at this year's tournament.

England's best chance of the match came from captain Kane, but his shot went over the bar after the ball bounced off the post. Meanwhile, Kane contributed 0.47 expected goals (xG) to England's xG total of 1.36, while Ghana only scored 0.17. Kane's number of touches in this match was 19, also the fewest in big matches when he played 90 minutes.

When asked if England relied too much on Kane, Tuchel hit back and questioned whether the same question would be asked about Argentina's Lionel Messi or France's Kylian Mbappe. "I mean, do Argentina depend too much on Messi and France depend too much on Mbappe? It's natural," Tuchel said. "We depend on Harry because he is our striker, but not too much."

After this draw, England had a total of 23 draws at the World Cup, including 13 goalless draws - all the highest numbers in the tournament's history. However, according to Opta's supercomputer, they still have an 81% chance of topping Group L, if they win against Panama in their next match, as long as Ghana does not score too many goals against Croatia on the same day.

Tuchel also played down the significance of England losing points, pointing out that Ghana played very well defensively. "We don't need a wake-up call. Everyone is alert and committed. There is no doubt. I can guarantee that to everyone," Tuchel insisted. "Today's match was not a defeat, just a difficult match. This was a long tournament, and the players tried their best.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The match between England and Ghana ended with what score?

The match between England and Ghana ended in a 0-0 draw.

Who is the coach of Team England?

The coach of the England Team is Thomas Tuchel.

What percentage of ball control did England have in the match?

The England team controlled the ball 78.8% in the match.

How many shots did Harry Kane have in the match against Ghana?

Harry Kane took 19 shots in the match against Ghana.

Did Tuchel say anything about England depending on Kane?

Tuchel rebutted the question of whether England depends too much on Kane and compared it to Argentina's Messi and France's Mbappe.

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