'It's not enough at this level': Gutted Harry Kane rues England's late collapse in semifinal defeat

England captain Harry Kane said he was gutted for his teammates, coaching staff and fans for failing to get over the line in the second semifinal against Argentina in Atlanta. Despite taking a second-half lead, England conceded two goals late into the contest, ending their World Cup title dream and Argentina’s ticket to the final. Anthony Gordon’s 56th-minute goal put England on the cusp of reaching their first World Cup final in 60 years, only for Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez to strike back in the space of seven minutes to end the Three Lions’ dream of winning a FIFA World Cup.

"Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans," England captain Kane said in a chat with the BBC. "We played a good game, the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up, we seemed to try and hold on, which at this level is not enough.

"So, just gutted because we've worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, blood, sweat, tears."
Kane, who is England’s all-time top-scorer at the World Cup finals, having smashed six in this edition alone, admitted that his team struggled to repel constant attacks from Argentina.

"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," he said. "Lads were putting blocks in, but, in the end, it just wasn't enough."

However, in a shocking admission, and contrary to how they played after Gordon’s opener, Kane said England had not planned to rely on defending; instead, the message was to go for another one, which never happened.

"When we went ahead, the messaging was to go again and get another goal," he added. “Then, once they scored their two goals, it was to try and find something, but we couldn't quite get the momentum back in the game.”

FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5 Photograph: (WION)

What’s next for Kane?

Kane, who will turn 33 later this month, addressed the media about the chances of returning to lead the attack at the next World Cup.

"As a person, it's always just about taking it year by year and how I feel," Kane told reporters. "The England national team is my pride and joy. It's what I love to do more than anything.

"Obviously, four years is a long way away. I'll be 33 this summer, but as you see on the other hand, with Leo (Messi) there, he's still performing at the highest level.

"I never want to put a limit on these things. But for now, it's just about processing another tough loss with this team,” he added.