England captain Harry Kane stated that the team is "missing that final piece of the jigsaw" and needs to improve after their World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina. Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament, acknowledged the team's need to "find a way to get better."
This defeat echoes past tournament exits, including a similar situation in the Euro 2021 final against Italy where England conceded an equalizer after taking an early lead, ultimately losing on penalties. Under manager Gareth Southgate, England also lost a World Cup semi-final to Croatia in 2018 and were beaten by Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Opta statistics indicate that England has been eliminated from the World Cup knockout stages every time they have faced a top-10 ranked nation since 1998.
"Going for glory doesn't always mean you will get it," Kane said. "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."
England's World Cup campaign began with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, after being tied at halftime. Attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham also scored six goals and was a key player throughout the tournament. Following England's exit, Bellingham shared a poem titled 'The Lions Way' and emphasized the importance of "unity" and "love" among the team and supporters.
"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 stated.
Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers expressed his devastation at the defeat, noting the team's significant effort to reach that stage. "We gave so much to reach this far and for it to end the way it did hurts," Rogers said. "We shared memories that will last for a lifetime and I lived a childhood dream to represent my country at a World Cup. We will be back, mark my words."
Forward Gordon, who recently moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona, shared a similar sentiment. "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," Gordon said. "I've never wanted to win so badly, not just for the trophy but for everything we built as a group and what it would have meant for England."
England is scheduled to play France in the third-place play-off match on Saturday.