Across the last three men’s World Cups, England have now fallen at the semi-final stage twice, and they also suffered defeats in the European Championship finals of 2021 and 2024.
“There isn’t a lot to say – everyone is devastated,” remarked England captain Harry Kane.
“When you are that close, just 10 minutes from the finish, and it slips away from you in that manner, naturally the boys are heartbroken.
“For an hour we performed so well. We got our goal and deserved to be leading, but after that we found it hard to retain possession, hard to press the ball, and that let them build greater momentum and fashion more openings in the attacking third.
“We have to figure out how to handle those moments better. That has likely been the element we’ve been missing over the course of the last four or five major tournaments.”
Bayern Munich forward Kane has netted six times at this World Cup and could still claim the Golden Boot – though both Lionel Messi, who created both of Argentina’s goals, and France’s Kylian Mbappé sit on eight.
Kane, who will turn 33 later this month, would not be drawn on the question of whether he will still be taking the field when the 2030 World Cup arrives.
“It’s far too soon to discuss that – for me it’s about approaching things season by season,” Kane said.
“Playing for the national team fills me with pride and joy, it’s what I love doing most of all.
“Four years is a very long time and I’ll be 33 in the summer, but as you can see with Leo [Messi], he’s still delivering at the very top level [at 39]. Right now it’s about coming to terms with another painful defeat.”
Just like Kane, Jude Bellingham has also registered six goals for England at this tournament.
“The lads gave absolutely everything across the whole tournament – I can’t fault their commitment and their battling spirit,” said the Real Madrid midfielder.
“That’s what life is like for a footballer at this level. The more beautiful the ride, the more heartbreaking the conclusion. I’m incredibly proud of all my team-mates – they put in a tremendous effort over the past few weeks.
“I wanted to be part of an England group that finally achieved it and finally got over the line. To be standing here telling the supporters the same old story they’ve had to listen to for years and years, it’s truly gutting.”
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