England head coach Thomas Tuchel has lavished praise on midfielder Declan Rice, describing him as 'one of the very best midfielders in the world' ahead of the Three Lions' crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L fixture against Ghana on Wednesday in Foxborough. The endorsement came at Tuchel's pre-match press conference as England look to seal a place in the round of 32 with back-to-back victories.

Rice's Role in England's Opening Win

England opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas, widely considered their most complete performance since Tuchel took charge in March 2025. Rice's relentless work-rate and sharp distribution provided the platform for England's attacking players to flourish, with the side growing in authority after the interval.

'Declan is one of the very best midfielders in the world,' Tuchel said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Ghana clash. The German coach acknowledged that the squad had arrived at the tournament already carrying the right mindset — something he described as a luxury rather than a challenge to manufacture.

Tuchel's Philosophy: 'Don't Disturb the Music'

'I'm very happy and a very lucky coach because they arrived at the World Cup with this mindset. I didn't have to get them into that mindset. Now the difficulty is to keep them in that way,' Tuchel said. He elaborated on the coaching team's approach by invoking an unusual analogy: 'A very famous conductor once said he doesn't want to disturb the music, and he doesn't want to disturb the musicians. That's basically what we try to do in the coaching team. Just encourage them to play with freedom, especially in the attacking positions.'

The philosophy appeared to bear fruit in the second half against Croatia, when England shifted into a higher gear and pulled clear of a resilient opponent.

Rice Sets the Standard for the Tournament

Rice himself reflected on the second-half display as a benchmark for the campaign ahead. 'That second-half performance was probably one of the best 45 minutes of football we've played under Thomas. We believe that if we can do that from the opening minute, we can beat any opponent in the World Cup,' he said. The Arsenal midfielder also paid tribute to captain Harry Kane, calling himself fortunate to line up alongside one of the world's elite strikers.

Tuchel's Mentality Mantra Ahead of Ghana

With expectations building around the England camp, Tuchel stressed the importance of a reset mentality after every result. 'I feel that we have so many winners and so many players who are experienced to cope with that,' he said. 'One of our key principles is to behave, train, and play in a manner that it's always 0-0. No matter what, it's always 0-0. The next pass counts, the next action counts, and the next tackle is important. Mistakes are part of this beautiful game. It's about how you react to them and how you help each other.'

England face Ghana in Foxborough on Wednesday, with a second consecutive Group L win set to confirm their passage into the round of 32. A repeat of the Croatia performance would signal that Tuchel's side are genuine contenders for the title.