Saka: England Players Carrying "Scar" From World Cup Semi-Final Heartbreak

Bukayo Saka says the disappointment of England's World Cup semi-final exit continues to weigh on the squad, describing the pain of that defeat as something the players are still carrying with them as they look ahead to future tournaments.

England's run at this summer's World Cup ended in agonising fashion, with Thomas Tuchel's side surrendering a 1-0 lead in the closing stages of their semi-final against holders Argentina, eventually losing 2-1 in Atlanta. The result denied England a first World Cup final appearance since 1966, though the squad regrouped to beat France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place play-off in Miami, securing the country's best finish at the tournament in six decades. 

Despite that strong finish, Saka has made clear the manner of the Argentina defeat has left a lasting mark on the squad. Speaking previously about the semi-final loss, he described the pain of the result as something that would ultimately serve as motivation, saying the experience would act as fuel heading into the team's next major tournament. He added that although the defeat was difficult to accept, the squad had shown enough throughout the summer to believe they could go all the way, and that belief has not diminished despite the disappointment.

Saka's own tournament had been complicated by fitness issues, having managed only limited minutes across the group stage and knockout rounds after picking up injury problems late in the domestic season with Arsenal. He was an unused substitute in the Argentina semi-final, a decision that drew scrutiny given his subsequent hat-trick against France, though Saka has been careful not to dwell publicly on the selection call, preferring instead to focus on what the team can take forward.

For Saka and his teammates, the semi-final defeat now sits alongside a string of near-misses at major tournaments in recent years, including back-to-back European Championship final defeats under previous management. With England's attacking talent widely regarded as one of the strongest generations in the nation's history, the challenge going forward, as Saka sees it, is turning that lingering hurt into the belief needed to finally get over the line at the next major tournament.