England captain Harry Kane has spoken of an “empty feeling in the stomach” following the Three Lions’ 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta.
Anthony Gordon gave England the lead after 55 minutes before the side dropped deeper, inviting sustained Argentine pressure in the closing stages of the contest.
Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez both struck late to send Argentina through to the final, leaving England to reflect on another tournament exit at the penultimate hurdle.
“We were close, really close to another final but it wasn’t enough,” Kane wrote on social media, as several England players shared their reactions to the heartbreaking loss.
“I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we’ve been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw! That’s where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better.”
Former England captain Wayne Rooney was among the critics, suggesting Thomas Tuchel’s side “crumbled” and became “too passive” as they failed to reach a first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966.
The statistics make for uncomfortable reading, with England managing only 12% of possession from the moment they took the lead until conceding the second goal in the 92nd minute.
A number of sources indicated to BBC Sport that key players were left disappointed by how the team approached the final stages of the semi-final in Atlanta.
Tuchel himself has pushed back on suggestions of tactical timidity, stating that “it’s maybe not in our DNA…to control the game and ball” in response to the widespread criticism of his approach.
Opta data shows that since 1998, England have been eliminated every single time they have faced a top-ten ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Bayern Munich striker Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament, urged his team-mates to keep fighting despite the bitter disappointment of falling short once again.
“Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it,” he added. “You have to fight for it, get knocked down, pick yourself up and go again and that’s what we will do, there’s no other way but to keep believing and keeping pushing.”
Jude Bellingham, who also scored six goals across the tournament, shared a four-page poem titled ‘The Lions Way’ written by the team’s driver Michael Chandler, saying it “pretty much hits the nail on the head.”
The Real Madrid midfielder called for “unity” following the defeat, urging supporters not to let the togetherness of the campaign fade away with the exit.
“Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things,” Bellingham said.
Barcelona forward Gordon, who moved from Newcastle United ahead of the tournament, admitted the result would sting for some time to come.
“I genuinely thought this was our time to win after waiting so many years but it wasn’t to be and it’s going to hurt for a while,” he said.
Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, who set up Gordon’s opener against Argentina, described himself as “devastated,” adding: “We will be back, mark my words.”
England now face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday after Les Bleus were beaten by Spain in the other semi-final, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 BST.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham backed Tuchel to “raise everyone” ahead of Euro 2028, which England will co-host alongside Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
“Another fantastic opportunity for our men’s team to challenge for silverware, with learnings from this tournament and even more support from our brilliant fans to look forward to. Onwards,” Bullingham said.
