Defending champions Argentina produced a dramatic late comeback in Atlanta to earn a 2–1 win against Thomas Tuchel's side, setting up a final against Spain on Sunday. England went ahead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon finished from Morgan Rogers' cross, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and – in the second minute of injury time – Lautaro Martinez meant the Three Lions missed out on their first men's World Cup final appearance since 1966.
"There's not much to say – everyone is gutted," said captain Harry Kane. "When you're so close, 10 minutes away, and it slips out of your hands like that, obviously the lads are devastated." The 32-year-old Bayern Munich striker, who has scored six goals at this tournament, was asked whether he could play on for England until the 2030 World Cup. "It's too early to talk about that," he said. "Four years is a long way away and I'm 33 in the summer, but as you see with Leo [Messi], he's still performing at the highest level [at 39]. I never want to put a limit on these things."
“Kane unsure on 2030 World Cup after England's semi-final defeat by Argentina.”
Tuchel, whose game plan unravelled in the final stages, insisted he had no regrets after the defeat. The England boss immediately came under fire for his approach, but the Standard reported that he stood by his decisions. England have now lost in the semi-finals in two of the past three men's World Cups, and were beaten in the European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024. Kane acknowledged a recurring problem: "We did so well for 60 minutes… then we struggled to keep the ball, struggled to put pressure on the ball. We're going to have to find out how we can improve in those situations. It's been probably the missing piece now for the past four or five tournaments."
England must now prepare for Saturday's third-place play-off against France (22:00 BST) at Miami Stadium. France suffered a 2–0 loss to a clinical Spain side in their semi-final, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. Manager Didier Deschamps is set to oversee his last match in charge of the national team as he prepares to step down at the end of the tournament. Kane, who could still win the Golden Boot, said: "The national team is my pride and joy, it's what I love to do most." The bronze final offers England a chance to leave with a medal and end their World Cup journey on a positive note.