Harry Kane, the England football team captain penned an emotional social media message, addressing the fans, players and members of the staff of the team, ahead of the side’s third-place play-off against France, scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Miami.
“No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach. We were close, really close to another final but it wasn’t enough. We’ve given everything over these last 7 weeks and to fall short is hard to take!,” Kane wrote on his official X account.
Harry Kane addresses English problem of failing to finish
England have indeed had a horrible eight years ever since 2018, when they made the semi-final of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in 28 years, having last reached the last four in 1990.
Addressing that finishing has indeed been a problem for the Three Lions, Kane said, “I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we’ve been knocking on the door for 8 years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw! That’s where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better. I’m so proud of the boys and what we have shown throughout this tournament – some tough games and tough environments that we have overcome.”
Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it
While not being able to clinch the trophy despite coming narrowly close in last five major tournaments, which include two European championships final in 2020 and 2024, two world cup semi-final exits in 2018 and 2026 and a quarterfinal exit in 2022 at the hands of same French team that they would face for the third-place play-off, the 32-year-old English captain said that the only thing they can do is learn, believe and evolve.
Going philosophical, Kane wrote, “Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it. You have to fight for it, get knocked down, pick yourself up and go again and that’s what we will do, there’s no other way but to keep believing and keeping pushing.”
“Thank you to every single fan that travelled and showed their support in the stadiums. Thank you to every fan back home for believing in us. Thank you to the boys and staff for everything you have given. As always Win or lose, we learn and go again! 
,” he added.
Will England finally have some glory?
The English team will be playing for a third-place game for the third time in their history and in their past two encounters, they ended up losing by conceding the same number of goals that would be haunting them big time even now. Two, is exactly the same number of goals that they conceded against Argentina, losing the semi-final 2-1.
In their 1990 third-place play-off match, England lost 2-1 to hosts Italy. In the latest 2018 third-place play-off game, they lost 2-0 to Belgium.