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Harry Kane has affirmed that Thomas Tuchel remains the right man to steer England forward after their third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, acknowledging that the team is still in a 'grieving stage' following their heartbreaking semi-final exit in the United States.

The England captain admitted that the squad continues to process the pain of falling short of their first World Cup final in six decades. Despite the disappointment, Kane expressed unwavering faith in Tuchel’s leadership and vision for the national team.

Standing up for Tuchel’s decisions

Tuchel has faced heavy criticism for his tactical approach during the closing stages of the semi-final clash with Argentina. After Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute, the German manager introduced defensive changes that many felt allowed Argentina to regain control. Nonetheless, Kane maintains that Tuchel is the best man to lead this talented group, particularly after England secured a bronze medal with a victory over France in the third-place match. “It’s our best World Cup finish in 60 years,” Kane said. “He brings passion, emotion, and immense tactical knowledge. That doesn’t mean everything will always go perfectly.”

“He made the players believe, and he made the whole country believe that this was our year,” Kane added. “That’s what makes it even more painful, because everyone truly thought we would go all the way.”

Searching for the missing ingredient

The 32-year-old striker has been vocal about England’s need to identify what he called “the final piece of the jigsaw” that would help convert deep tournament runs into trophies. Kane highlighted England’s tendency to sit back when leading against top-tier opponents as a key issue that must be addressed before the next major tournament cycle.

“Everyone has to take time to process it, including the manager himself,” Kane remarked. “It won’t be until the next camp that we start thinking about what comes next. We’ll have discussions between myself, the manager, and the staff about how we can improve. The last 30 minutes against Argentina didn’t reflect the team we want to be. We’ve spent the past two years focusing on being proactive in those moments, but ultimately, we still came up short.”

Lessons from the American campaign

Looking ahead, Kane stressed that England must not only discuss their learnings from the tournament in the United States but also apply them in real match situations under pressure.

“It’s easy to talk about what we should do better,” he said. “What matters is executing it when those moments come again. We’ll have the qualifiers and the Nations League to work on that. Facing sides like Spain and Croatia will be vital for us.”

“We need to get comfortable in those big-match environments and find our best performances against top teams, like we did against France – even if it wasn’t the most intense game. It’s all about learning and improving. The coach will grow from this experience too. I can say all the right things, but it’s about showing that progress next time we’re tested.”

Kane reflects on England’s World Cup heartbreak

England were just minutes away from their first World Cup final since 1966 before Argentina’s late surge in Atlanta dashed their hopes. Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich, provided a candid reflection on the emotional toll of the defeat, admitting that the third-place finish offered limited comfort.

“Of course, we’re still feeling the pain from that night – the emotions, the ‘what ifs’,” Kane shared. “That’s going to stay with us for a while. We’re still in that grieving phase, emotionally drained, and it’ll take the next few weeks before we start to move on.”