Harry Kane says it is too early to decide if 2026 FIFA World Cup it 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 clash felt painfully familiar after another deep tournament run ended one step short of the showpiece, but insisted he is not ready to put any limits on his international future.
Kane reflected on another near miss
England are chasing a place in the World Cup finals 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 contest. Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute, before Lautaro Martínez headed home Lionel MessiThe cross in 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 clash.“It’s a similar story to what happened in previous tournaments I feel,” said Kane.“We managed the momentum of the game so well for 60 minutes, we scored and went 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 denied 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 fell deeper after taking the lead, but acknowledged that protecting a one-goal lead for more than 20 minutes against the reigning world champions proved too difficult.“It is a normal mind to try to hang on and keep the lead of a goal, but we are still 20 minutes. We have to look at the game again and find out exactly how we can improve in these situations, but it has probably been 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 have a game remaining.The Three Lions will face third-placed France after Didier Deschamps’ side were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the other semi-final.Kane once again led England into a major tournament, scoring six goals during the 2026 World Cup to finish among the competition’s top scorers as he captained his country to another last four appearance.
Kane is not ready to make the decision to retire
Attention quickly shifted to whether the 32-year-old played his final World Cup, with Kane set to be 36 when the next tournament arrives in 2030.The Bayern Munich striker, however, made it clear that no decision will be made immediately after 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 it,” Kane told BBC Sport.“I take it year by year and the national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I like to do more than anything.“Obviously four years is a long way. I will be 33 this summer, but as you can see on the other hand with Leo here, he is still at the highest level.“I never want to put a limit on these things. I will face the situations as they come, but for now it is just to process a hard loss.”