Harry Kane left the field in Atlanta with a lost look in his eyes. England had just been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Argentina, 2-1, and the captain did not look for excuses in front of the BBC: “We are devastated”, he confessed. He said they went 1-0 up and believed it would be enough to hold on. At that level, he admitted, it is not enough.
Minutes later, another scene: Kane and Messi embracing at midfield. The 32-year-old Englishman did not hesitate to acknowledge what he had seen: for him, Messi remains one of the most dangerous footballers on the planet with the ball in the final third.
When asked whether he will play in another World Cup, he did not need much time to think: he pointed to Messi, at 39 years old, leading Argentina to the final. With 121 appearances for the England national team, Kane now has only Peter Shilton ahead of him. On Saturday, England will play France for third place in Miami.