Declan Rice: England are entirely focused on 1 goal | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is targeting World Cup success with England in 2026, insisting the squad are all on the same page under Thomas Tuchel.

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Arsenal’s Declan Rice made his first England appearance under Thomas Tuchel on Friday, only the second manager to have the job full-time since the 26-year-old’s debut in 2019.

Reflecting on how things have gone so far, Rice suggested the vibes in training have been very positive.

“The energy’s really good,” Rice said. “Training’s been amazing. The energy in training has been really, really top. I think that’s been the theme of the whole week really.

“Obviously, first time working with Thomas, he’s really energetic, cares so much about his players.”

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As for what the group are focusing on, Rice says it’s all about qualifying for and then winning England’s second World Cup trophy.

“Ultimately, we have one goal, which is obviously to get to the World Cup and we want to add the second star onto the shirt,” Rice said. “I think [Tuchel’s] been massive on that.

“We’re all on the same page, and we’re all together on that.”

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To an extent, the FA have helped to focus England’s attentions by handing Tuchel an 18-month contract, only lasting until the end of the World Cup. There’s no need to think about any other tournaments, just this one.

The schedule also helps, as there are only two friendly matches and zero Nations League games for the team in 2025. The other eight fixtures are all qualifiers for next summer’s tournament.

In every international break from March until November, the goal is winning qualifiers and securing a World Cup spot as quickly as possible.