England captain Harry Kane admitted he was "gutted" after the Three Lions' World Cup campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion with a 2-1 semifinal defeat to defending champions Argentina on Wednesday.
England looked destined for their first men's World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966 after Anthony Gordon gave Thomas Tuchel's side the lead. However, Lionel Messi inspired a stunning comeback in Atlanta, setting up Enzo Fernandez's long-range equaliser before delivering a pinpoint cross for Lautaro Martinez to score the dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Speaking to the BBC after the match, Kane expressed his disappointment for the entire England camp.
"Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone – the team, the staff, the fans," Kane said.
"We played a good game for the majority of it. When we went 1-0 up we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough.
"We've worked so hard to get here and the lads gave everything – blood, sweat and tears."
The Bayern Munich striker, who finished the tournament with six goals, acknowledged that England struggled to cope with Argentina's relentless attacking pressure after taking the lead.
"After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man for man, it was just wave after wave," Kane explained.
"Lads were putting blocks in but, in the end, it just wasn't enough."
Kane insisted England's intention was never to sit back after Gordon's opener.
"When we went ahead the messaging was to go again and get another goal.
"Once they scored their two goals it was about trying to find something, but we couldn't quite get the momentum back."
Despite another painful exit, England have now reached at least the semifinal stage in four of their last five major tournaments, underlining the consistency of the national team even though they are still searching for their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
The defeat also raises questions about Kane's international future. The England captain, who turns 33 later this month, declined to speculate on whether he will still be leading the national team at the next World Cup.
Instead, Kane pointed to Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who continues to perform at the highest level at the age of 39 and has scored eight goals during the 2026 tournament.
"As a person, it's always about taking it year by year and how I feel," Kane said.
"The England national team is my pride and joy. It's what I love to do more than anything.
"Four years is a long way away, but you see Leo still performing at the highest level. I never want to put a limit on these things.
"For now, it's just about processing another tough loss with this team."
