England’s wait to reach another men’s World Cup final will extend beyond six decades after a dramatic late collapse saw Thomas Tuchel’s side suffer a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina.
The Three Lions looked set to end their 60-year wait for a World Cup final appearance after Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal gave them the lead at Atlanta Stadium. With just minutes remaining, England appeared on course to book a meeting with Spain in the final.
Instead, the match slipped away.
Argentina mounted relentless late pressure, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings as England struggled to regain control. Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez headed home the winner in stoppage time, sealing a dramatic comeback and sending the defending champions into another World Cup final.
The defeat is likely to spark intense scrutiny of Tuchel’s tactical decisions. The German coach was appointed after Euro 2024 with a clear objective: to end England’s long wait for major tournament success. Unlike predecessor Gareth Southgate, Tuchel was expected to take a more proactive approach in the biggest matches.
However, his late tactical changes invited sustained Argentine pressure and ultimately proved costly. The collapse has drawn inevitable comparisons with the criticism Southgate faced following defeats in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals.
For the Football Association, a semi-final exit falls short of expectations after appointing one of Europe’s most successful club managers specifically to deliver World Cup glory. Tuchel himself spoke of adding “a second star” to England’s shirt before the tournament, making anything less than the title a disappointment.
England had shown resilience throughout the competition, recovering from difficult positions against DR Congo and Norway before producing one of their finest performances under Tuchel to eliminate co-hosts Mexico in the last 16.
Jude Bellingham again demonstrated his importance on the biggest stage, while captain Harry Kane led the attack throughout the tournament. For Kane, now 32, the defeat will be particularly painful as opportunities to win a World Cup become increasingly limited.
Although England once again fell short, there are reasons for optimism. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have established themselves as the foundation of the midfield, while Bukayo Saka is expected to play a key role once fully fit.
Tuchel also has several attacking options to build around, including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton. Young talents Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman have also emerged as exciting prospects for the future.
England’s immediate focus will now turn to the UEFA Nations League, where they face World Cup finalists Spain in September. Despite the painful exit, Tuchel retains the backing of the Football Association after recently signing a contract extension through to Euro 2028.
For now, though, England must come to terms with another agonising near miss, one that will be remembered as one of the most painful defeats in the nation’s World Cup history.
