England saw their hopes of reaching a first men’s World Cup final since 1966 vanish in a heartbreaking loss to Argentina. After Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute, the team appeared to retreat into a defensive shell. The lead held until the 85th minute, when Enzo Fernandez equalized. Shortly after, in the 92nd minute, Lautaro Martinez headed in a winner, with both goals orchestrated by Lionel Messi.
Critics, including former England captain Wayne Rooney, described the performance as too passive. Following the opening goal, England managed only 12% possession. Thomas Tuchel drew intense scrutiny for his substitutions, notably replacing Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa and later adding Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly, effectively moving to a five-man backline. Forwards were not introduced until deep into stoppage time.
Former players like Chris Sutton and Micah Richards questioned the decision to drop deep against a team of Argentina’s caliber. Sutton labeled the tactical shift a coaching failure, while Richards suggested the team should have pushed for a second goal rather than protecting the narrow lead. Despite the defeat, Tuchel remains under the backing of the Football Association. The coach expressed no regrets, viewing the result as the nature of football, and praised his team for their resilience throughout the tournament.
