'The mission is very, very clear... England want to be world champions' - Three Lions arrive in USA as Thomas Tuchel & Harry Kane outline World Cup glory target

Tuchel's 26-man England squad has arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida, to acclimatise to the sweltering conditions before their Group L opener against Croatia on June 17. The travelling party omitted stars Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze, who were granted additional recovery time following Saturday's Champions League final in Budapest. On-loan Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford has already joined his compatriots in Miami after completing his own private hot-weather training regime.

The England skipper has firmly supported Tuchel’s philosophy of prioritising squad chemistry over individual talent for his 26-man selection, with the veteran striker now entirely focused on securing a historic international trophy after falling just short in the previous two European Championship finals under Sir Gareth Southgate. He said: “In Gareth’s early stage we spent a lot of time talking about trying to make it more together and trying to put club football to one side when we come here with the national team. And I think year by year that got stronger and stronger. But, of course, the expectation now is to get over the line and win.”

Footage from an official England documentary titled Building The Dream revealed that Tuchel explicitly challenged his players during their very first meeting at St George's Park to openly discuss their championship aspirations. He said: “The mission, why we are here, is very, very clear. We want to be world champions. We want to put the second star on our shirt. And for me, it’s very important that we just speak about it. Just straight away speak about it. The mission, the target of this mission is clear: second star on our shirt."

Tuchel emphasised to his players that sheer talent would prove insufficient to secure a tournament victory, asserting that only an unshakeable bond and internal unity could propel them beyond the achievements of the previous regime. He added: “It’s not enough because it’s not only about football. It’s not only about offensive build-up and defensive patterns. “It’s not only about set-pieces; which is a big, big part. But in international football, and especially in international football, it is not only about football.

“I spoke to a World Cup winner, and he had been in two tournaments, and he said the difference between the quarter-final and the final... it was the same level, the same quality of play.

“But once they arrived as a brotherhood, we were ready to die for each other. It would have been no problem if the camp is two months. So two months, OK? No problem. Guys, let’s do something special.”

England will quickly test their tactical readiness and team chemistry in two upcoming warm-up matches staged in Florida. The Three Lions face New Zealand on Saturday in Tampa before taking on Costa Rica the following Wednesday in Orlando. These fixtures represent a crucial opportunity for Tuchel to integrate his late-arriving Champions League stars and finalise his starting lineup ahead of their tournament opener in Arlington.