‘Leo is still performing’: Harry Kane uses Messi example to reveal his England World Cup future | Football News
Harry Kane says it is too early to decide whether 2026 FIFA World Cup that was 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 defeat felt all too familiar after a deep run in the tournament ended a step short of the showpiece, but insisted he was not ready to put any limits on his international future.
Kane reflected on another near miss
England are looking 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 took control of the match. Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez headed home. Lionel MessiCrossing deep into stoppage time to complete Argentina’s comeback and book a final against Spain.Reflecting on the defeat, Kane admitted that England once again struggled to manage the closing stages of a major knockout game.“It’s a similar story to what happened in the previous tournaments I feel,” Kane said.“We managed the momentum of the game well for 60 minutes, we scored and took the lead.“And then for one reason or another, we struggled to be on the ball, we struggled to put pressure on the ball and allowed them to create more momentum and more attacks in our final third.”
England’s Harry Kane (9) and England’s Jude Bellingham (10) look sad 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 had naturally dropped a lot after taking the lead but acknowledged that defending a one-goal advantage for more than 20 minutes against the reigning world champions proved too difficult.“It’s a normal thought to try to hang on and hold a goal lead, but we still have 20 minutes. We have to look back at the game and know how we can improve in those situations, but this is probably the missing piece now for the last four tournaments.”
England’s attention turned to third place playoff
The defeat means England’s wait for a first World Cup title since 1966 continues, although Tuchel’s team still have a game in hand.The Three Lions will face France in the third place playoff after Didier Deschamps’ team was defeated by Spain, 2-0 in the other semi-final.Kane once again led England to a major tournament, scoring six goals at the 2026 World Cup to finish as the competition’s top scorers while captaining his country to another last four appearance.
Kane is not yet ready to make the decision to retire
Attention quickly shifted to when the 32-year-old played his last World Cup, with Kane set to be 36 by the time the next tournament comes around in 2030.The Bayern Munich striker, however, made it clear that no decision was made after a painful defeat, while also drawing inspiration from Lionel Messi’s long life at the highest level.“Again, it’s too early to talk about that,” Kane told BBC Sport.“I take it every 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 off. I’ll be 33 this summer, but as you saw on the other side with Leo there, he’s still performing at the highest level.“I don’t really want to put a limit on these things. I’ll address the situations as they come up, but right now it’s just about processing a difficult loss.”
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