'It felt like it wasn't us' - Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane admits Argentina World Cup exit was his most painful England heartbreak yet

Ten weeks after a devastating World Cup semi-final defeat, England are regrouping under Thomas Tuchel. The squad is shifting focus towards their upcoming Nations League campaign and the long road to Euro 2028. However, the psychological toll of their exit to Argentina remains a heavy burden for the national team.

The disappointment was so profound that Kane could not bring himself to watch the global showpiece at MetLife Stadium. Instead, the Bayern Munich striker distracted himself with a round of golf in New York while Spain and Argentina battled for the trophy.

The 33-year-old forward has suffered his fair share of near misses on the international stage. Yet, he believes the nature of this recent collapse eclipses even his infamous quarter-final penalty miss against France in Qatar.

"I have been to the finals, to semifinals and been so close," Kane explained. "Each one hurts in a different way. This one hurt, for sure. More than any other one. I would probably say even more than when I missed a penalty in Qatar just in the manner that it happened."

The frustration stems from a perceived tactical and mental retreat. "It just felt like it wasn't us as a team," he added. "It wasn't the team that we wanted to be and said we'd be. I think sometimes when you maybe go against your beliefs and you lose, it feels 10 times worse."

Moving forward, Kane is demanding deeper conversations within the camp to solve their recurring struggles against elite opposition in the latter stages of major tournaments. He insists the pain must act as fuel to help the squad figure out how to retain their identity in high-pressure moments.

"It's something that we haven't quite been able to do in latter stages of tournaments against the bigger nations and the better nations," the 121-cap international admitted. "It may be a mixture of things. It may be personalities, it may be mentality, it may be just the direction and how we want to play in those games."

To bridge that gap, the skipper views the upcoming Nations League as a vital stepping stone. "I know there's a perception that the Nations League maybe not being as important, but when you haven't won for so long I think just the feeling of winning a trophy with England could then catapult us going into the Euros in a couple of years," Kane stated, urging his team-mates to embrace the competition."

England's quest for redemption begins on Saturday at Wembley against Spain. The fixture carries significant weight, as the visitors defeated Tuchel's side in the last European Championship final and ultimately reached the World Cup final that England desperately craved.

Preparation has been disrupted by a string of fitness issues, with five recent withdrawals adding to existing injuries. While Kane previously criticised dropouts in late 2024, he adopted a softer stance this time. Acknowledging the gruelling Premier League schedule compared to his own winter break in Germany, Kane insisted he trusts his team-mates to manage their bodies.