Harry Kane urges England World Cup healing after Argentina heartbreak

Harry Kane, the Three Lions captain, insists England must put the hurt of the England World Cup heartbreak against Argentina behind them, saying the semi‑final loss still pains him more than the missed penalty versus France in the 2022 quarter‑final. He added that the team did not show its true selves and must use the disappointment as motivation for the upcoming Nations League clash.

Pain of the semi‑final

“Each one hurts in a different way. This one hurt, for sure. More than any other one. I would probably say even more than when I missed a penalty in Qatar because of the manner that it happened,” Kane said, stressing that the Argentina exit felt ten times worse than a loss when the team plays its own way. He explained it was not the team they wanted to be or said they would be.

The Three Lions were 1‑0 up after the 55th minute but slipped in the dying minutes, eventually losing 2‑1. Kane reflected on how the side barely touched the ball after taking the lead, a stark contrast to the confidence they showed earlier in the tournament.

He said the squad must discuss internally how to be better in those moments, pointing to personalities, mentality and the direction of play as possible factors. “It may be a mixture of things – personalities, mentality, the way we want to play,” he added.

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Looking ahead to Spain

England host world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday in the Nations League, a big test for Thomas Tuchel’s men and a key part of the “healing process”, Kane explained. “You have no choice. You have to move on,” he urged, emphasising the need to process the pain while continuing to compete.

He noted that England have now faced the last three world champions in as many games – losing to Argentina, beating France in the third‑place play‑off and now meeting Spain. The sequence, he said, should fuel their motivation.

Tuchel welcomed the squad back to St George’s Park with a clear message: continue what has been built, rather than start afresh. Kane echoed this, saying the focus is on continuity after two years together and the progress made at the World Cup.

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“We’ll still talk about the summer, the good and the bad, and that will happen naturally over the next year,” Kane concluded, underscoring that the conversation about the World Cup exit will remain part of the team’s development.