Harry Kane has confessed to feeling “empty” following England’s elimination from the World Cup at the semi-final stage after a painful 2-1 defeat to Argentina. The Three Lions skipper took to social media to express his disappointment as the nation’s six-decade pursuit of a major international trophy continues.

Heartbreak in the semi-final

England’s hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 were crushed in dramatic circumstances as Argentina mounted a late fightback to claim a 2-1 win. Anthony Gordon had put England in front early in the second half, turning in a Morgan Rogers cross, but late strikes from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the tide in Argentina’s favour.

The loss has deeply affected the squad, particularly captain Kane. The Bayern Munich forward issued a heartfelt message addressing supporters and teammates as he came to terms with another narrow miss on the international stage.

Kane’s emotional message

In his statement shared on social media, Kane opened up about the disappointment. “No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach,” he wrote. “We were close, really close to another final, but it wasn’t enough. We’ve given everything over these last seven weeks, and to fall short is hard to take! I know the expectations are high and rightly so; we’ve been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw!”

The England all-time top goalscorer stressed the importance of self-reflection and improvement. “That’s where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better. I’m so proud of the boys and what we have shown throughout this tournament – some tough games and tough environments that we have overcome,” he added.

A message of resilience

At 32, speculation has arisen about whether this might have been Kane’s final opportunity to lift the World Cup. However, his words reflected a continued resolve to push forward and build towards future triumphs, underlining the perseverance required at the elite level.

“Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it. You have to fight for it, get knocked down, pick yourself up and go again, and that’s what we will do; there’s no other way but to keep believing and keep pushing,” Kane affirmed. He ended by expressing gratitude to England’s supporters: “Thank you to every single fan that travelled and showed their support in the stadiums. Thank you to every fan back home for believing in us. Thank you to the boys and staff for everything you have given. As always, win or lose, we learn and go again!”

One game still to play

Though the sting of the semi-final exit will take time to fade, England’s campaign is not yet officially over. The team will take on France in Saturday’s third-place play-off.

Speaking after the loss, England head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the challenge of preparing for a game neither side had hoped to contest. “None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” Tuchel told reporters. “They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.”