Thomas Tuchel, the new England manager, will begin his duties three weeks ahead of schedule by attending the 2026 World Cup draw in Zurich next week. Although he won't officially take over until January 1, the German tactician is keen to familiarise himself with the role and will be part of a Football Association delegation visiting FIFA’s headquarters in Switzerland on December 13.
Despite speculation that Tuchel would delay his start date to secure a pay-off from his previous role as Bayern Munich manager, it's now clear he'll be stepping into the role sooner than expected. With Lee Carsley returning to his duties with the England under-21s, Tuchel's early involvement became possible after FIFA confirmed last week that some managers would attend the draw.
The former Chelsea boss, who was confirmed last month, has been handed an 18-month contract as England boss and will find out his qualifying opponents next week.
This marks the beginning of England's journey to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
England, one of the top 12 seeds, have a 75 per cent chance of being part of a five-team qualifying group, with matches scheduled for March and June. Four of the smaller groups are reserved for the winners of the Nations League A quarter-final.
According to the Mirror England are looking to arrange end-of-season friendlies in the United States next June, but this will hinge on their World Cup qualifier fixture list, which will be confirmed post-draw. This could potentially mean that Tuchel's first game at the helm next March might be a World Cup qualifier.
