Harry Kane says it is far too early to decide whether the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be his last after England’s hopes of reaching the final were ended by Argentina in a dramatic 2-1 semi-final defeat. The England captain admitted the latest setback felt painfully familiar after another deep tournament run ended one step short of the showpiece, but insisted he is not ready to place any limits on his international future.
Kane reflects on another near miss
England looked on course for a place in the World Cup final after Anthony Gordon fired Thomas Tuchel’s side into the lead in the 55th minute in Atlanta.However, the defending champions gradually seized control of the contest. Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez headed home Lionel Messi‘s cross deep into stoppage time to complete Argentina’s comeback and book a final against Spain.Reflecting on the defeat, Kane admitted England once again struggled to manage the closing stages of a major knockout match.“It’s a similar story to what’s happened in previous tournaments I feel like,” Kane said.“We managed the momentum of the game so well for 60 minutes, we scored and got ahead.“And then for one reason or another, we struggled to be on the ball, we struggled to put pressure on the ball and it allowed them to create more momentum and more attacks in our final third.”
England’s Harry Kane (9) and England’s Jude Bellingham (10) are dejected at the end of the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
He added that England naturally dropped deeper after taking the lead but acknowledged that protecting a one-goal advantage for more than 20 minutes against the reigning world champions proved too difficult.“It’s a normal mindset to try to hang on and hold on to the one-goal lead, but we’re still 20 minutes out. We’ll have to watch the game back and find out exactly how we can improve in those situations, but it’s been probably the missing piece now for the last four tournaments.”
England’s attention turns to the third-place playoff
The defeat means England’s wait for a first World Cup title since 1966 continues, although Tuchel’s side still has one match remaining.The Three Lions will face France in the third-place playoff after Didier Deschamps’ side were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the other semi-final.Kane has once again led England deep into a major tournament, scoring six goals during the 2026 World Cup to finish among the competition’s leading scorers while captaining his country to another last-four appearance.
Kane not ready to make retirement decision
Attention quickly shifted to whether the 32-year-old has played his final World Cup, with Kane set to be 36 by the time the next tournament arrives in 2030.The Bayern Munich striker, however, made it clear that no decision will be made in the immediate aftermath of such a painful defeat, while also drawing inspiration from Lionel Messi’s longevity at the highest level.“Again, it’s too early to talk about that,” Kane told BBC Sport.“I’m taking it year by year and the 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 there, he’s still performing at the highest level.“I never want to put a limit on these things. I’ll address situations as they come, but for now it’s just about processing a tough loss.”
