England skipper Harry Kane has suggested that he remains open to featuring in another World Cup following his team’s painful semi-final defeat to Argentina.

The Three Lions once again suffered familiar heartbreak, conceding two late goals to fall 2-1 in the closing stages of the match.

Kane, who scored six goals during the tournament and became England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer, will be 36 when the next edition takes place in four years’ time. The Bayern Munich forward, however, drew inspiration from 39-year-old Lionel Messi, saying he does not want to “set boundaries” for his career.

“It’s too early to talk about that. For me, it’s always about taking things year by year and seeing how I feel,” Kane said. “Representing the national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love doing the most, more than anything else.”

Reflecting on Messi’s enduring excellence, Kane added: “Obviously, four years is a long time away. I’ll be 33 this summer, but as you can see with Messi still performing at 39, he’s at the highest level. So, I never want to put a limit on these things. I’ll take each situation as it comes, but right now it’s about processing another difficult loss with this group.”

England will now face France in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday — a fixture many have criticised — which will mark the end of their World Cup campaign on a subdued note.

The team will regroup in roughly two and a half months to begin their Nations League journey, starting with a clash against World Cup finalists Spain.

Speaking about the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Kane admitted that the entire squad was deeply disappointed.

“There’s not a lot to say right now,” he confessed. “Everyone needs time to come to terms with what’s just happened. We’re all gutted — me, the lads, the staff, everyone involved — because we all know how much effort goes into making this team successful.

“And when you’re so close — just 10 or so minutes away — and it slips through your fingers like that, it’s heartbreaking. The boys are devastated. We just have to accept it, move on, and look to improve.”