Kane ran over to celebrate with Bukayo Saka after his hat-trick (Image: Getty Images)
Harry Kane questioned why England failed to produce a similar performance against Argentina while celebrating their fifth goal against France with his team-mates, according to a lip reader. Thomas Tuchel’s side claimed the World Cup bronze medal match on Saturday evening with a remarkable 6-4 win. Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jude Bellingham each netted once, while Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick.
The Arsenal winger was one of eight changes to the starting line-up, with Ivan Toney among those handed a place from the off. Kane was consequently left on the bench and remained unused throughout, yet still threw himself into the celebrations. For Saka’s third and England’s fifth goal, Kane was the first to rush over and congratulate the winger, and was subsequently spotted delivering a pointed message to his England team-mates.
According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, via Covers.com, Kane was delighted with the performance but couldn’t resist wondering aloud why the same display hadn’t materialised against Argentina. “Alright. That was some great work. It’s a shame we didn’t play like this the other day,” he said, according to Hickling.
The fifth goal effectively quashed any concerns of a potential France comeback from 4-0 down, after the 2018 winners had recovered to 4-3. A Kylian Mbappe brace and Bradley Barcola’s strike within just 18 second-half minutes had dragged Didier Deschamps’ side right back into contention.
Mbappe’s double saw him surge past Lionel Messi in both the Golden Boot standings and the all-time scoring records. Ousmane Dembele then found the net after coming off the bench following Saka’s hat-trick goal, while Bellingham also netted as a substitute deep into stoppage time.
Saka’s treble made him just the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat-trick and sparked debate over Tuchel’s decision to leave him out of the starting line-up against Argentina.
England suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats in the nation’s footballing history on Wednesday, as the reigning champions struck twice late on to secure a 2-1 victory and advance to the final.
Anthony Gordon gave England the lead on 55 minutes, a lead that lasted until the 85th minute. Just as England looked set to cling on for a 1-0 win against Argentina, Enzo Fernandez drew the South Americans level with a shot from outside the box.
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Harry Kane didn’t play a single minute for England against France (Image: Getty Images)
Messi then delivered a cross to Lautaro Martinez in the second minute of added time and the striker powered in his header to complete the comeback.
Dreams of reaching a first World Cup final since 1966 were shattered in an instant, ending England’s impressive campaign in devastating fashion. The loss also held particular significance for Kane, who will be 36 when the next World Cup kicks off in 2030.
Kane’s age and the devastating defeat prompted questions about a potential international retirement, but the England captain dismissed such suggestions, citing 39-year-old Messi as motivation. “It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane said.
“Me as a person, it’s always about taking it year by year and how I feel. 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 in the summer. But, as you see on the other end 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 every situation as they come, but for now, it’s about processing another tough loss with this team.”