VIDEO: Harry Kane brutally asked if he fears he'll never play in a World Cup again as 'gutted' England captain reacts to semi-final loss to Argentina

Standing in the mixed zone after the final whistle, Kane was forced to confront the possibility that his quest for World Cup glory may have reached its end. Having seen a 1-0 lead evaporate in the final minutes against Argentina, the 33-year-old striker was asked directly if he feared he would never grace the global stage again.

"Again, it's too early to talk about that," Kane replied when pushed on his future. "I'm taking it year by year and the national team is my pride and joy. It's what I love to do most more than anything. Obviously four years is a long way away, I'm 33 this summer but it never ended with Leo [Messi] there, he's still performing at the highest level. I never want to put a limit on these things. I'll address situations as they come, but for now it's just about processing a tough loss."

The pattern of the defeat felt painfully familiar for an England side that has reached the latter stages of four consecutive major tournaments without silverware. Despite Anthony Gordon firing them ahead, the Three Lions retreated into a defensive shell that ultimately invited their own downfall through goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

"I'm gutted," Kane said. "I'm gutted for the boys, I'm gutted for everyone, the team, the staff, the fans.

"We played a good game for the large majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough, so I'm gutted.

"We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every last bit of running, sweat, blood, tears, whatever it is, so to fall short like today is just gutting."

The captain added: "It's a similar story to what's happened in previous tournaments I feel like.

"We managed the momentum of the game so well for 60 minutes, we scored and got ahead. And then for one reason or another, we struggled to be on the ball, we struggle to put pressure on the ball and it allowed them to create more momentum."

The mood in the England camp was one of utter devastation, with squad members echoing Kane's sentiment regarding the missed opportunity. Defender Dan Burn, whose introduction was part of the tactical shift that preceded the Argentine comeback, was vocal about the team's inability to maintain their performance levels under pressure.

"Absolutely gutted," Burn told the BBC. "I thought we had the gameplan pretty well for the majority of it. But obviously, when we scored, we went a bit passive and dropped off and were ultimately punished for it. We probably conceded too many chances and if you do that, they are going to get goals. Disappointing from us. We have defended games better and seen them out. When you get that close to the World Cup final, that hurts."