Declan Rice stood in the Miami night with a bronze medal around his neck and made a declaration that dared anyone to argue. “This is the best England group for a very long time. That's a fact. No-one can take that away from us.”
The midfielder, captaining the side in the absence of Harry Kane, had just led England to a thrilling 6-4 victory over France — a 10-goal classic that secured the Three Lions their first World Cup medal since winning the trophy in 1966. It was their best finish in 60 years, and for Rice, proof that major tournament success is “close”.
“England secure first World Cup medal since 1966 with 6-4 win over France.”
“I think we can be proud as a group — we are just gutted we lost in that semi-final,” he said, referencing the painful collapse against Argentina that knocked England out. “We're tired of saying we're proud of coming in semi-finals and quarter-finals — we want to win with England ultimately. But to come third in this tournament is a real achievement.”
Behind the pride, raw emotions spilled over during the match itself. Assistant manager Anthony Barry, speaking to BBC One at half-time when England were 4-0 up, could barely keep his composure. “There's no frustration. I'm a little bit emotional,” he said, tears in his eyes and voice shaking. “I can't find the words to describe how proud I am of these players. They're playing a game with broken hearts. I see 11 lads on the field with broken hearts.”
The victory in Miami was a defiant response to criticism of Thomas Tuchel's tactics after the semi-final loss. Rice insisted the gap to the top is narrowing. “It's a game of small margins. It's football and the other night we lost on margins and in the boxes.”
England's bronze medal campaign was also a reminder of past glories. Earlier this week, the match-worn shirt of 1966 hero Roger Hunt — a white long-sleeve number 21 jersey he wore when scoring both goals in a 2-0 group win over France — sold at auction for £11,000. Now, 60 years on, a new generation has given England a medal to match that golden era.
“We're so close, honestly,” Rice added. “I think we need to keep going. I do think it's close." The question is whether this team can finally go one step further.