Five reasons to be cheerful despite England's World Cup exit

ByKatharine Sharpe

BBC Sport elder journalist

There is nary sugar-coating a semi-final nonaccomplishment to footballing rivals successful a World Cup. It hurts.

Compound that with truthful galore 'nearlies' successful caller tournaments - back-to-back European last losses successful 2021 and 2024, and different World Cup semi-final exit successful 2018.

Then if you adhd the mode successful which England mislaid their grasp connected a spot successful this final, it mightiness look hard to find galore reasons for positivity.

But it doesn't person to beryllium each doom and gloom - we've recovered immoderate reasons to beryllium cheerful.

To person a squad containing not 1 but 2 Golden Boot contenders is nary mean feat successful a World Cup.

It's possibly not astonishing that Harry Kane - who came successful to the 2026 World Cup aft averaging a extremity each 66 minutes for Bayern Munich this play - rapidly enactment himself successful contention to beryllium the competition's apical scorer. He picked up 2 goals successful the opening crippled against Croatia, followed by 4 much arsenic England progressed done the tournament.

Jude Bellingham was perchance a little apt candidate, having had a comparatively quiescent play astatine Real Madrid compared to his erstwhile 2 aft recovering from a enarthrosis operation.

However, Bellingham finds himself adjacent with Kane's tally of six goals up of the third-place play-off, during which either subordinate could clinch the tournament's Golden Boot should they amended oregon adjacent existent joint-top leaders Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi's full of eight.

Both players came to England's rescue erstwhile it was needed astir - Kane's brace against DR Congo preventing a humiliating circular of 32 exit, and Bellingham's treble against Norway sealing their spot successful the semi-finals.

While Kane has not committed to featuring astatine the 2030 World Cup, we should get astatine slightest 1 much outing for the goalscoring brace unneurotic astatine the 2028 Euros.

While the aforementioned exits precocious successful the World Cup and Euros whitethorn beryllium achy to remember, they are inactive a motion of immense advancement for England's tourney progression.

Prior to the 2018 World Cup semi-final, England had not gone further than the tournament's quarter-finals since Italy 1990.

And until their 2020 Euros last nonaccomplishment to Italy, they had lone ever reached arsenic acold arsenic the quarter-finals since their 1996 semi-final nonaccomplishment to Germany.

The deficiency of silverware is inactive evident - but to scope either a semi-final oregon last successful 4 of the past 5 large tournaments is simply a immense upturn successful form.

Away from the shot itself, 1 of the large stories retired of the 2026 World Cup has been the conditions that players - and fans - person faced during matches.

It wasn't conscionable the vigor - humidity, lightning, and rainfall have each impacted games.

While England did payment from immoderate fixtures being played successful air-conditioned stadiums with roofs, specified arsenic successful Atlanta against DR Congo, different conditions were little forgiving. Those included the stifling humidity and soaring temperatures successful Miami for their quarter-final against Norway.

The much-discussed altitude of Mexico's Azteca stadium for England's circular of 16 lucifer against the co-host federation was perceived to beryllium a large hurdle for the squad to overcome. That was earlier you took into relationship Mexico's fearsome location grounds and notoriously raucous ambiance astatine the ground.

Despite this, England adapted good and ne'er seemed to beryllium struggling owed to the outer factors imposed connected them during games - oregon astatine least, managed to conflict little than their opponents.

While pre-tournament grooming camps to set to the conditions volition person helped with preparation, it is testament to the players' intelligence and carnal spot that they managed to persevere successful oppressive conditions amended suited to opponents accustomed to playing successful utmost weather. That could basal them successful bully stead for the much acquainted conditions that volition beryllium contiguous astatine Euro 2028.

Manager Thomas Tuchel's squad selection successful May raised a fewer eyebrows erstwhile helium near retired players who person featured regularly successful tourney shot for England - specified arsenic Harry Maguire.

Also missing retired were younger stars who galore thought had proven themselves for the squad - similar Cole Palmer - and high-profile names playing for immoderate of the biggest clubs successful the world, specified arsenic Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, the determination to see players similar Djed Spence - playing for relegation-threatened Tottenham - proved to beryllium a fruitful one.

Aside from the high-scoring names similar Kane and Bellingham, Spence is 1 of the players who has travel successful for peculiar praise this tourney for his coagulated antiaircraft displays.

He came successful for peculiar adulation from some fans and pundits pursuing the semi-final nonaccomplishment to Argentina, making several cardinal tackles as England attempted to clasp backmost the attacking tide of their opponents.

Defenders whitethorn not often travel successful for the aforesaid lavish praise arsenic Golden Boot contenders. However, if England are to yet triumph different tournament, they volition request players similar Spence to adhd squad extent arsenic good arsenic their header superstars.

One of the biggest criticisms of this existent England broadside is an over-reliance connected idiosyncratic players similar Harry Kane, who astatine the property of 32 volition not beryllium astir overmuch longer to rescue his broadside from choky spots specified arsenic the 1 they recovered themselves successful against DR Congo.

With different seasoned players apt to bow retired from the planetary signifier soon, determination could beryllium concerns their acquisition of tourney shot volition beryllium a large nonaccomplishment to the squad.

However, with truthful overmuch young endowment astatine Tuchel's disposal, it could besides beryllium seen arsenic an breathtaking accidental to rebuild.

Many fans felt Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha was unlucky to not marque the afloat squad aft a fewer awesome showings successful his debut Premier League play - followed by being named antheral of the lucifer connected his debut astatine the property of 17 successful a tourney warm-up lucifer against New Zealand.

And Arsenal's Max Dowman - who became the youngest goalscorer successful Premier League past at the property of 16 successful March, arsenic good arsenic the youngest-ever Premier League victor successful May - is different breathtaking imaginable for aboriginal tournaments.

It's besides important to retrieve that tourney prima subordinate Jude Bellingham, on with Elliot Anderson, Jarell Quansah, Morgan Rogers and James Trafford are inactive each aged conscionable 23 years old. They volition beryllium 27 astatine the adjacent World Cup - statistically the cleanable property to triumph the trophy.

England volition play France for the World Cup 3rd spot connected Saturday successful Miami, which volition beryllium unrecorded connected the BBC.

Attention volition past crook to the Nations League opening connected 24 September, which volition beryllium different accidental for Tuchel and his players to larn from what went incorrect astatine the World Cup and physique connected the positives.

Then it's connected to the Euros successful 2028 - connected location soil, arsenic it is being co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

Many fans volition situation to imagination of a 3rd consecutive last based connected what we've seen this summertime - but this clip with a antithetic outcome.