Defeat will 'haunt' England as history repeats itself

Heartbreak has struck England's men's team once again, as history repeated itself in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals. For the second time in eight years, England held a lead in a World Cup semi-final, only to fall to late goals, this time against Argentina after a similar fate befell them against Croatia in 2018. England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon's finish from Morgan Rogers' cross. However, Argentina responded with late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in injury time, securing a 2-0 victory and denying England a place in their first men's World Cup final since 1966. Dan Burn, who came on as a substitute with England leading 1-0, described the feeling as "gutted." "We nailed the gameplan pretty well. To go 1-0 up... then we got too passive, conceded too many crosses and too many chances," Burn said. "When you're playing a team of that quality, it is going to cost you. This will haunt me for a long time, I think." England had shown resilience in previous rounds, defeating Mexico and Norway. However, against Argentina, they struggled to maintain their defensive solidity. Captain Harry Kane echoed the team's devastation. "There's not much to say - everyone is gutted," he stated. "When you're so close, 10 minutes away, and it slips out of your hands like that, obviously the lads are devastated." Kane acknowledged that England played well for the first 60 minutes but struggled to keep possession and apply pressure afterward, allowing Argentina to build momentum. He noted that this inability to close out games has been a recurring issue in recent tournaments. Despite the crushing defeat, Burn expressed pride in the team's overall performance, noting that few had expected them to reach this stage. England now faces France in the third-place play-off. Kane, who is currently the tournament's top scorer with six goals, declined to comment on his potential participation in the 2030 World Cup, stating he takes his career year by year.

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Gutted. Absolutely gutted.