Harry Kane says England were 'missing the final piece of the jigsaw'

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: England missing final piece of jigsaw - KaneImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kane has scored six goals and registered one assist during the 2026 World CupByMandeep SangheraBBC Sport journalistPublished1 hour agoEngland captain Harry Kane says the team are "missing that final piece of the jigsaw" and need to "find a way to get better" following their defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. The Three Lions took the lead in Atlanta but were beaten 2-1, with the side and manager Thomas Tuchel being criticised for becoming too defensive after going in front. "No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach," wrote Kane,, external as several England players took to social media to give their thoughts on the tournament.

"We were close, really close to another final but it wasn't enough. We've given everything over these last seven weeks and to fall short is hard to take! "I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we've been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw!

The Details

That's where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better. "Anthony Gordon put England in front after 55 minutes against Argentina but the Three Lions then sat back as they invited pressure from their rivals, who scored two late goals through Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to win 2-1. In the aftermath, former England captain Wayne Rooney said Tuchel's side "crumbled" and became "too passive" as they missed out on a first World Cup final since they won the competition in 1966.

Tuchel has also been criticised for his defensive substitutions, with England having only 12% of possession from going ahead to conceding the second goal after 92 minutes. A number of sources have indicated to Sport that a clutch of key players were left disappointed by how the team approached the final stages of the game. However, Tuchel has said that it was never the plan to drop deeper and that "it's maybe not in our DNA…to control the game and ball".

Figure caption, 'The decisions Tuchel made cost England' - analysisEffort, spirit and moments - but do England lack all-round quality? Published3 hours agoFrom Southgate to Tuchel - has anything changed? Published14 hours agoBellingham calls for unityIt is not the first time England have been accused of becoming too defensive in key games.

What Experts Say

It was a similar situation under former manager Gareth Southgate when they went 1-0 in front against Italy in the Euro 2021 final before conceding an equaliser and losing on penalties. Under Southgate, England also lost a World Cup semi-final to Croatia in 2018 and were beaten by Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Opta stats show that, since 1998, England have been eliminated every time they have faced a top-10 ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

"Going for glory doesn't always mean you will get it," added Bayern Munich forward Kane, who has scored six goals during the tournament.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.