Midfielder Declan Rice declared the current England squad the best he has been a part of for a considerable time, after securing a third-placed finish in the 2026 World Cup.
"One of the best England groups that I have ever been a part of," Rice told the BBC. "When you see the boys around the hotel, when you see us training on the pitch, when you see us in the changing room, it is a unique group. We had that bond and had so much belief in each other."
Captain Harry Kane, who scored six goals in the tournament, also commented on the team's dynamic. Kane, who was an unused substitute in the semi-final against France, will be 36 when the 2030 World Cup arrives but has given no indication of retiring from international duty.
Reflecting on manager Thomas Tuchel's first major tournament, Kane noted the learning experience. "It is his first major tournament. I think he has learned a lot of the squad, the campaign, the travel and the games and what it takes – the pressure," he said.
Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick in the third-place play-off against France, addressed his own role and the team's performance. Saka, an unused substitute in the semi-final, stated he was fully fit despite earlier injury concerns. "Of course, I would love to have played more but it's too late to talk about that," Saka told BBC One. "I try to do my talking on the pitch and it's done now, move on. I'm fit."
Saka also commented on the external noise surrounding the manager. "I think that's just part of the game... it's how you react to it, how you use it as fuel and today we finished strong and that's all we could really do and we did that."
The third-place victory provided a bittersweet conclusion to England's World Cup journey. The ultimate legacy of this campaign may become clearer after the team participates in future tournaments.
