England's men's football team were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup at the semi-final stage after Argentina fought back from behind to win with a stoppage-time goal, echoing familiar patterns of past tournament exits. The Guardian's editorial reflects on the disappointment as part of a recurring narrative for English football, noting that criticism of manager Thomas Tuchel, whose side retreated defensively in the closing stages, has so far been more measured than previous inquests, such as the vilification David Beckham faced in 1998.

More than 24 million viewers watched as England took an early lead before wilting under Argentinian pressure, a collapse the piece likens to previous semi-final losses to Croatia in 2018 and the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy. Attention now turns to a Spain-Argentina final likely to feature Lionel Messi's last World Cup appearance, while England, who also enjoyed a memorable win over Mexico at the Azteca stadium, face France in the third-place play-off.