Tuchel to use Southgate's penalty blueprint at World Cup

Thomas Tuchel said England will go into the World Cup with Gareth Southgate’s penalty blueprint still in place, not a fresh start. England’s penalties programme has been running for years, and the takers and the order are already fixed before facing DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday at 17:00 BST.

Tuchel described a squad that treats shootouts as a process, not a gamble. “We are prepared. We have a process, the players have a process,” he said. He added: “We know who takes them and we know the order, but we don't know who finishes the game.”

Southgate turned that preparation into a system after years of English failure from the spot. Before him, England won only one of their first seven major-tournament shootouts. Under Southgate, they won three of four between 2018 and 2024.

The old routine went well beyond normal training ground repetition. Southgate used a buddy system so each penalty taker was met halfway on the walk back, and Jordan Pickford carried opponent research on his water bottle. England also adjusted after the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy, when Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were introduced with seconds left in extra time and both missed. Southgate later concluded they had not had enough time to feel part of the game.

England’s most recent shootout came against Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final, when all five takers scored in a 5-3 win after a 1-1 draw. Harry Kane remains the designated penalty taker when available, and the squad also includes Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer as options depending on selection and who is still on the pitch at the end.

Kane’s own record has reinforced England’s confidence. After missing against France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he scored his next 30 penalties in all competitions.