England: 'We will come back stronger,' Harry Kane reacts after elimination

Harry Kane delivered a message filled with both disappointment and hope after the Three Lions' defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.

The day after England's elimination from the 2026 World Cup semi-final against Argentina (2-1), despite the Three Lions having taken the lead, Harry Kane broke his silence on his X account.

The England captain shared his immense frustration, describing a hollow feeling in his stomach after coming so close to reaching another World Cup final.

"No words are strong enough to describe this feeling of emptiness. We were close, really close to another final, but it wasn’t enough. We gave everything over the past seven weeks and it’s incredibly hard to fall short when we were so near the target."

Harry Kane also acknowledged the huge expectations surrounding this English generation, runners-up at Euro 2020, quarter-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, and now semi-finalists at the 2026 World Cup.

"Expectations are high, and rightly so. For eight years, we've been knocking on the door, but we’re still missing that final piece of the puzzle. We need to process this disappointment, analyze what went wrong, and find a way to get better."

Despite the elimination, the striker said he was proud of his team’s journey, praising their fighting spirit throughout the tournament.

"I’m extremely proud of the boys and what we’ve shown during this competition. We’ve been through tough matches, in difficult environments, and we managed to overcome them. These memories will stay with us, the players, and with the supporters for a very long time."

Finally, Harry Kane made sure to thank the English fans, promising that this disappointment would not put an end to England’s ambitions.

"Aiming for the top doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach it. You have to fight, you have to fall, get back up, and go again. That’s exactly what we’ll do. There’s no other choice but to keep believing and keep moving forward. Thank you to all the supporters who travelled, those who cheered us on from back home, and to all the players and staff. As always, whether we win or lose, we learn and we go again."

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.