Pep Guardiola 'to' manage national team for next World Cup cycle

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Journalist Guillem Balague has disclosed that Pep Guardiola was reportedly offered the England manager position before Thomas Tuchel, but declined the offer. Guardiola is said to still be contemplating his future at Manchester City, hence his decision to turn down the England job offer.

Guardiola is set to go out of contract at the Etihad Stadium and has been cagey about his prospects of staying on at the club beyond that, saying he has not made up his mind about what his future holds.

That, plus a previous pronouncement from Guardiola that he would one day like to lead a team to a World Cup, had led to a clamour for the FA to move heaven and earth to hire him as England manager.

Pep Guardiola 'thought about England job for two months'

Journalist Balague is absolutely certain that Guardiola will go on to do exactly that, only it is more likely to be the 2030 World Cup than 2026.

But that means that a potential move to the England job could still be on the cards for Guardiola in the future.

Speaking to Rick Edwards on BBC Radio 5 Live, Balague said: “He actually was offered the job. He thought about it for two months, and after two months he said ‘no, because I don’t even know what I’m going to do at the end of this season’.

“Manchester City right now feel he’s closer to staying than leaving, but nobody really knows.”

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Tuchel will start as England manager in January, with his contract going up until the end of the 2026 World Cup – and Balague thinks Guardiola may well take the job from there.

He added: “What seems clear is that in the cycle from the [2026] World Cup to the following one (2030), [Guardiola] will have a national side – and England are favourites.

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“It’s 18 months, isn’t it, that Tuchel has got the job. That takes him to the World Cup. If Tuchel wins the World Cup, forget that [Guardiola] plan!”

Lee Carsley will remain in caretaker charge of England for their Nations League games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland next month.