England manager criticizes FIFA anthem ceremony after victory over Croatia
Thomas Tuchel, coach of the England national team, appealed to FIFA to change the arrangement of photographers during the playing of the anthems, arguing that this prevents him from seeing his players.
England coach Thomas Tuchel spoke out after his team's 4-2 victory over Croatia in the first game of the 2026 World Cup group stage. He appealed to FIFA about the new pre-game ceremony that involves the playing of national anthems.
"I beg FIFA to change the arrangement of photographers during the playing of the anthems... I simply couldn't see my team. I waited for this moment, which was very special, and I was in front of a wall of 50 photographers. I couldn't see any players, and that ruined my experience a little bit," said Tuchel in an interview with Sky Sports.
During the opening ceremony, all players from the two teams scheduled for the match are positioned in the center of the field, an innovation that is being carried out for the first time in major tournaments. With this victory, England has three points and leads Group L. In the second game, the English will face Ghana, while Croatia will play Panama.
---
Related Articles
1. [Schottland gegen Marokko: So sehen Sie das Spiel live](https://mannschaftgoal.com/de/news/schottland-gegen-marokko-so-sehen-sie-das-spiel-live) 2. [Ehemaliger Spieler kritisiert WM-Spiel zwischen Ghana und Panama](https://mannschaftgoal.com/de/news/ehemaliger-spieler-kritisiert-wm-spiel-zwischen-ghana-und-panama)