Michael Owen Urges Thomas Tuchel: One Lineup Change is Essential, Says England Legend

England stands on the brink of a historic achievement. On Wednesday evening, they face a semi-final clash against Argentina. Should the English squad emerge victorious, it would mark their first World Cup final appearance since 1966, the year the Three Lions secured their sole tournament title.

"We didn't play particularly well against Norway. Honestly, Norway was probably the better team. We'll definitely need to show a better performance if we want to win the semi-final and the entire tournament. The same goes for Argentina. They haven't had a completely smooth run through the tournament either, even though on paper they had an easier path to the semi-finals. I think both teams are at a similar level," Michael Owen told the island media.

While the former England star doesn't anticipate significant lineup changes compared to the quarter-final against Norway, he believes one alteration is both necessary and highly probable. In his view, manager Thomas Tuchel should start Bukayo Saka over Noni Madueke from the opening whistle.

"Of course, Saka is returning from injury and is still gradually finding his tournament form, but I believe he should be in the starting eleven. It's too important a match for him not to play," emphasized the 46-year-old Englishman.

The former striker believes England has a chance to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, but in the tournament's ultimate match, they could face a formidable obstacle.

"I think we can definitely reach the final. We'd have a better chance against Spain than against France, but even against us, they would be favorites. My heart says England, but my head tells me Spain is probably the better team," concluded the former Real Madrid and Liverpool player.