Declan Rice stood by the podium in Miami, a bronze medal around his neck, and declared: "This is the best England group for a very long time. That's a fact." It was a bold claim moments after a 6-4 thriller against France secured England's first World Cup medal since 1966 – but the stand-in captain was adamant the pain of the semi-final collapse against Argentina would not define them.
"We're tired of saying we're proud of coming in semi-finals and quarter-finals – we want to win with England ultimately," Rice told BBC Sport. "To come third in this tournament is a real achievement. We're so close, honestly." His words came after England produced one of the all-time great World Cup matches, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick, Rice on target and Jude Bellingham adding a brilliant sixth. France mounted an astonishing second-half fightback from 4-0 down, Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, but England held on.
“Declan Rice hails 'best England group for a long time' after bronze, but Harry Kane warns of 'what ifs' as team leaves World Cup with medal and regret.”
Yet the mood was not purely celebratory. Thomas Tuchel, whose tactics had been criticised since the Argentina defeat, faced boos from England fans before kick-off. Assistant manager Anthony Barry, interviewed at half-time with tears in his eyes, said: "They're playing a game with broken hearts."
Captain Harry Kane, who led the squad to their best finish on foreign soil, insisted there was much to be proud of – but acknowledged the sting. "Of course we're still feeling it from the other night, the emotion and the what ifs. That will be with us for a while now," Kane said, quoted by the Mirror. "Every time you get closer, knock on the door. You think you've learned and you have but we just have to keep going."
In the Guardian's player ratings, Djed Spence and Marc Guéhi each scored 8 out of 10, with Guéhi described as "England's most consistent and reliable defender" after a masterclass handling Erling Haaland. Jordan Pickford, now with more World Cup finals appearances than any other Englishman, earned a 7. But the question that lingers: can this group – labelled the best in a generation by Rice – finally turn bronze into gold at Euro 2028? "It's a game of small margins," Rice said. "It's close."