In this Guardian opinion column, writer Max Rushden reflects on England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, using the match to explore the nature of sporting hope. He argues that hope in football is fleeting and often overshadowed by fear, but concludes that even brief hope is worthwhile rather than something to be dreaded, pushing back on the well-worn cliché "it's the hope that kills you."

Rushden describes the emotional arc of the game: pre-match nerves, tension as Argentina's Giuliano Simeone harried England's players, growing pessimism at half-time, and a fleeting surge of hope after England scored an equalising goal. He references Rebecca Solnit's book Hope in the Dark and quotes from Ted Lasso and Slow Horses' Jackson Lamb to frame his argument, while noting that England's wait for a second World Cup win, or even a final appearance, will now stretch beyond 60 years.