Gareth Southgate has not ruled out remaining England manager through to the 2026 World Cup, saying Thursday that he would evaluate his future following this summer’s European Championship.
Southgate, who has been in charge of England since 2016, has a contract with the English Football Association until December of this year.
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“There’s a fair chance half the coaches won’t be here after the Euros. That’s international football,” Southgate said following Thursday’s draw for the UEFA Nations League in Paris.
“You’ve got to see how the summer goes — it’s as simple as that. I know what we’re capable of achieving in the summer, I know what my own benchmark of success would be, after that I’m not really thinking about anything else.
“We’ve got to deliver a performance and you’ve got to make the best decisions for everybody. I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament.”
The 53-year-old is England’s most successful manager since the 1966 World Cup-winning Sir Alf Ramsey, having guided his country to the final of Euro 2020 and the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup.
However, he considered stepping down following England’s defeat to France in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup before opting to remain at the helm through Euro 2024.
England will face Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia in Group C of the Euros this summer.
Thursday’s Nations League draw placed England in a group with the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece. This is England’s first appearance in League B following their relegation from the top tier in the competition’s last edition.
