Prince Harry believes England's failure to reach a World Cup final stemmed from a lack of winning 'mindset' rather than tactical decisions, suggesting the team was left in a state of 'shock' after taking the lead against Argentina.
Appearing on Fox Sports alongside former England defender Rio Ferdinand, the Duke of Sussex stated that after going 1-0 up, England did not truly believe they could extend their lead or secure a victory. "It's mindset," Harry said, speaking with a pint of lager. "I think what we saw was a slight shock value for them. 'S**t, we are 1-0 up against Argentina' and there was this immediate temptation to fall into defence."
Harry appeared to defend England manager Thomas Tuchel, asserting that the team's defensive posture was not part of the pre-game strategy. He noted that while Tuchel's substitutions and the exclusion of attacking players like Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford drew criticism, the retreat into defense was an unintentional consequence. "I don't think it was a tactic. I don't think that was the plan. It just happened," Harry commented. "After 72-73 minutes, whatever it was, you can't just defend a 1-0 lead against a team like that. You just can't. The mindset is the belief. The fact that you are 1-0 up, believe that you can be 2-0 up."
During the conversation, host James Corden humorously suggested Harry might join the England management team due to his tactical analysis. The discussion also touched upon Harry's own football experience. He recalled being a first-team player at his prep school but was demoted to the bottom team, the 'E team,' at his senior school, Eton College, when more students joined.
The appearance also featured a light-hearted exchange about the term 'soccer' versus 'football.' Harry playfully chided Corden for using the American term, recalling his own recent slip-up during a visit to the UK. He had apologized after referring to a World Cup match as 'soccer,' quickly correcting himself to 'football.'
The Duke also shared his ranking of notable individuals named Harry, placing singer Harry Styles first, followed by footballer Harry Kane, with himself and the fictional character Harry Potter tied for third. He joked about having a