Kane refuses to rule out 2030 World Cup after England's late collapse against Argentina

Harry Kane has left the door open for a fourth World Cup appearance after England were eliminated at the semi-final stage, beaten 2-1 by Argentina following a collapse in the final 15 minutes.

The Bayern Munich striker, who scored six goals to become England’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer at the tournament, will be 36 by the time the 2030 edition arrives. But Kane drew a pointed comparison with Lionel Messi — who performed at the highest level at 39 — to explain why he is unwilling to close the door on future tournaments.

“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane said. “As a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel. The national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do most, more than anything.”

He continued: “Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’m 33 in the summer, but as you saw on the other end with Messi there, he’s still performing at the highest level. So, I never want to put a limit on these things. I’ll address every situation as they come, but for now it’s just about processing another tough loss with this team.”

England’s exit followed a now-familiar pattern of late heartbreak. Leading with just over ten minutes remaining, the Three Lions conceded twice to suffer a defeat that Kane described as deeply painful for everyone involved in the camp.

“There’s not much to say for now,” he admitted. “Everyone has to process what’s just happened. Everyone’s gutted. I’m gutted for all the boys, all the staff, everyone behind the scenes, because we know how much everyone puts into being a successful national team. When you’re so close, when you’re 10-plus minutes away, and it slips out of your hands like that, obviously the lads are devastated. Now we just have to take it on the chin. There’s nothing we can do. We go away and try to improve.”

England will conclude their tournament in Miami on Saturday with a third-place play-off against France before returning to international duty in approximately two and a half months, when they begin their Nations League campaign against World Cup finalists Spain.