'We were a lot better than them' - Maguire left with bad taste in mouth following England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France

• England out of World Cup after defeat
• Three Lions couldn't make it back-to-back semi's
• Maguire claims they were they better team

WHAT HAPPENED? England succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of France on Saturday, sending them crashing out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage. The Three Lions put up a good display against the current champions, besting them in possession, shots and shots on target, but it just wasn't to be on the night.

WHAT THEY SAID: Maguire reacted to the defeat, claiming England were the better team: "We believed we would win the tournament. They are the world champions and for me, I think they will go on to lift the World Cup, but being totally honest, we were a lot better than them in a lot of areas.

"One thing I would say about this group of lads, I think we’ve proven tonight that we belong on this stage in these big games at these big tournament knockout matches. I think we’ve proven that tonight even though we’ve lost the game.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty late on which would have levelled the game for England, and most likely would have taken it to extra-time. Some England fans were also aggrieved with the referee's performance, believing a foul should've been called in the build-up to France's first goal.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND? The Three Lions next meet in March when they'll kick off their qualifying campaign for the next European Championships due to take place in 2024. It is unclear if Gareth Southgate will still be in charge as he considers his future.