England Crash Out to Argentina After Late Semi-Final Collapse
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- England led 1-0 through Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute strike at Atlanta Stadium, but conceded twice in the final minutes (Enzo Fernández 85', Lautaro Martínez 90+') to lose 2-1 and extend their World Cup final drought past 60 years.
- Thomas Tuchel replaced goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa with 18 minutes left and switched to a back five — and England registered just 12% possession from taking the lead until Martínez's winner nearly 40 minutes later.
- Tuchel's right-back gamble backfired at the worst moment: Reece James went off with a hamstring issue after a tournament of musical chairs between Quansah, Spence, and Konsa, while Trent Alexander-Arnold watched from afar.
- Ivan Toney came on after 96 minutes — his first appearance of the tournament — prompting questions over whether he was being saved for a penalty shootout that never arrived.
- Harry Kane will be 36 by the next World Cup, making this exit a likely final-chance loss for the captain, while Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Gibbs-White were unused by Tuchel despite being in the squad.
- Tuchel received an FA contract extension in February taking him through Euro 2028, committing him to a rebuild that begins with a September Nations League fixture at home to Spain — the side that beat England in the Euro 2024 final.
Why it matters: Tuchel was hired specifically to deliver what Southgate could not — ending the drought that began at Wembley in 1966 — yet his late-game retreat against Argentina repeated the very caution he was brought in to replace, with possession at 12% during the decisive phase. With Kane aging out of contention and the FA already locked into Tuchel through Euro 2028, England now face a rebuild around Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson that opens with a Nations League rematch against Spain in September.
