England manager Thomas Tuchel hopes his players will one day look back on finishing third at the World Cup with some pride, despite falling short of their ultimate goal of winning the tournament.

A sensational 6-4 victory over France in a frenetic third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday secured England their best finish at a World Cup since their legendary 1966 triumph on home soil.

Despite the historic feat, the heartbreak of missing out on the final still lingered for the German manager – and fans.

“It’s the first medal for 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. So I hope that the players can be proud of that in some time,” Tuchel said.

“We are fiercely competitive, so like we almost don’t allow ourselves to be proud of the third place because 18 months ago we set ourselves the highest goal, to make it to the final and win the World Cup.

“So it’s very, very painful if you miss out. The pain will stay for a while.”

Tuchel Hits Back at Critics After Semi-Final Flak

Tuchel came in for heavy criticism after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals on Wednesday. The manager faced intense scrutiny, particularly because of what were viewed as his defensive tactics after his side took the lead early in the second half.

Addressing the intense media pressure, the Three Lions boss didn’t hold back regarding the atmosphere surrounding the squad ahead of the France clash.

“The press conference yesterday felt as if we went out in the group stage without a win, to be very honest,” the German said.

“The best thing you can do is react on the pitch and get the next win. Everything else is just talking, and talking doesn’t get you points, and talking doesn’t get you a win.

“I’m glad that we showed a reaction. We wanted that reaction, and it’s very impressive.”

Bukayo Saka’s stunning hat-trick against France inevitably raised a burning question: why was the Arsenal right winger left out of the crucial semi-final clash against Argentina?

Tuchel admitted he had been cautious with Saka due to a lingering Achilles injury the forward had been managing for the last few months, but defended his tactical gamble on the night.

“It was a tough decision for me to leave him out of the semi-final,” said Tuchel. “I had the feeling that Morgan Rogers had something special to give to us with his physicality and his body in the match against Argentina.

“We had (Saka) warm up several times against Argentina. We were ready to change, but the game became so crazy that we in the end opted for a different option.

“But nothing has changed during the World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, fantastic football player, key player for us, and that will not change. He showed it again today and I’m happy for him.”