Prince Harry acknowledged the heartbreak of England's World Cup exit, speaking to reporters on the red carpet at the TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on Thursday. The Duke of Sussex, who was without his wife Meghan Markle at the event, admitted he was upset by the Three Lions' loss to Argentina in the tournament's semi-finals.
"Of course!" the 41-year-old told Page Six when asked about his sadness following the match. This appearance marks his first public statement since a week-long visit to the UK to promote his Invictus Games.
England had conceded a 1-0 lead in the final moments of their semi-final match against Argentina in Atlanta. Lionel Messi was instrumental in a late comeback, securing a 2-1 victory for Argentina and advancing them to the final against Spain. England's goals came from Anthony Gordon, who scored in the 55th minute, but Argentina's Enzo Fernandez equalized late before Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal in injury time.
Prince Harry was in New York after being recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026, featured in the 'leaders' category. He was honored by TIME for his work with the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured, or sick service members.
"Sport held me together," Harry told TIME. "I was one of those kids at school who did not enjoy classroom work. If it wasn't for the sports field, and the amount of sports that were on offer, there's no way I would have stayed in school."
During the gala, Harry mingled with notable sports figures including LeBron James, Lindsey Vonn, Jalen Brunson, who recently led the New York Knicks to an NBA championship, and U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun. He was also seen interacting with US Olympic skating stars Alysa Liu and Madison Chock, and former NBA star Masai Ujiri. He attended the event alongside Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME.
Earlier in the month, Prince Harry made a five-day solo visit to the UK, during which he was not accompanied by Meghan Markle or their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, due to ongoing security concerns. The next Invictus Games are scheduled to take place in Birmingham, UK, next summer, expecting approximately 550 competitors from around 25 countries.