England captain Harry Kane has acknowledged that his side are still searching for the formula to win a major tournament, describing the squad as "missing that final piece of the jigsaw" after their 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in Atlanta in the 55th minute, but Thomas Tuchel's side retreated and allowed Argentina to dominate possession in the closing stages. Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored late to overturn the deficit and send Argentina through to the final.

"No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach," Kane wrote on social media. "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."

The Bayern Munich striker, who finished the tournament with six goals, called on England to reflect and improve. "That's where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better," he said.

Tuchel under fire for defensive approach

The manner of the defeat drew immediate criticism. England held just 12 percent of possession from the moment they went ahead to conceding the decisive second goal in the 92nd minute. Former England captain Wayne Rooney said the team "crumbled" and became "too passive."

Tuchel has pushed back against the criticism, insisting a defensive retreat was never part of the plan and that controlling possession "is maybe not in our DNA." However, multiple sources told BBC Sport that several key players were frustrated with how the final stages of the game were managed.

It is a pattern England fans have seen before. Under Gareth Southgate, England led Italy 1-0 in the Euro 2021 final before conceding and losing on penalties. They also fell to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Opta data shows 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.

Bellingham calls for unity

Jude Bellingham, who also scored six goals during the tournament, said he was "really struggling to find the right words" after the defeat. The Real Madrid midfielder shared a four-page poem titled 'The Lions Way', written by the team's driver Michael Chandler, saying it "pretty much hits the nail on the head."

Bellingham used his platform to call for unity among supporters. "Don't let the unity and love we've seen in our country end with this campaign. When we're together we can achieve big things," the Real Madrid player said.

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, who assisted Gordon's opener, said he was "devastated" by the result. Anthony Gordon, who has since moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona, added: "I genuinely thought this was our time to win after waiting so many years but it wasn't to be and it's going to hurt for a while."

FA backs Tuchel for Euro 2028

Despite the disappointment, Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham expressed confidence in Tuchel's ability to guide England forward. England will co-host Euro 2028 alongside Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland, and Bullingham said he expects the manager to "raise everyone" ahead of that tournament.

"Another fantastic opportunity for our men's team to challenge for silverware, with learnings from this tournament and even more support from our brilliant fans to look forward to. Onwards," Bullingham said.

England must now prepare for a third-place play-off against France — beaten by Spain in the other semi-final — on Saturday at 22:00 BST.