England Lioness Kelci Bowers declares pride in country after Argentina end Three Lions' World Cup run

Kelci Bowers, a former England youth international and partner of Tottenham defender Marcos Senesi, broke her silence on Instagram after Argentina eliminated England from the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, writing simply: “Proud of my country.”

England had taken the lead in the last-four tie before late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez ended their tournament, extending the nation’s agonising wait for a World Cup triumph. The defeat came at the hands of Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina side — the same squad that includes Senesi, the 27-year-old centre-back who joined Spurs on a free transfer this summer after four years at Bournemouth.

Bowers, 22, had already courted controversy ahead of the semi-final by wearing an Argentina shirt in the build-up to earlier fixtures, drawing criticism from some England supporters. She addressed the tension directly in an interview with The Times before the match.

“I grew up wearing an England shirt and had the privilege of representing England, so that connection will always be incredibly strong,” she said. “But when your partner is playing in one of the biggest games of his career, naturally you want him to do well too. I’ll be supporting Marcos personally while still feeling incredibly proud whenever I see England on a stage like this.”

She also defended her decision to embrace Argentine culture publicly. “Supporting Argentina, embracing the culture in Argentina and posting on my social media wearing the Argentina shirt is something that I’ve been doing. And I don’t really feel like there’s anything wrong with that.”

Bowers was in the stands to watch Argentina’s victory and celebrated with Senesi after the final whistle, before posting her four-word message of support for England on her Instagram story.

The couple first met during a Bournemouth kit photoshoot shortly after Bowers signed for the club. “We were both invited to model the club’s retro kit launch at an old American-style diner on the beachfront. It was actually my first week after signing for the club, and I hadn’t really met anyone yet,” Senesi recalled. “During the shoot we had a few group photos together, as well as a couple of shots with just the two of us. Afterwards, we started chatting on Instagram.”

Bowers left Bournemouth when her contract expired in June, the same summer Senesi departed for Spurs. England, meanwhile, must regroup after another painful World Cup exit, their semi-final defeat to Argentina adding a fresh chapter to one of football’s most enduring rivalries.