England's defeat to Argentina: Dan Burn: We need time to process this loss.

England's "Three Lions" lost 1-2 to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final after Gordon took the lead in the second half, but ultimately failed to hold on to their advantage in the final stages of the game, failing to advance to the final. Dan Byrne expressed his shock at the defeat and believed that the players needed time to process it.

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rodgers chipped a pass from the right wing into the penalty area in the 55th minute, and Gordon volleyed it into the net, giving England a 1-0 lead. In the 85th minute, Argentina took a corner kick, Messi received the ball and passed it across, Enzo received it at the edge of the penalty area and fired a long-range shot into the net, helping Argentina equalize the score at 1-1.

In stoppage time of the second half, Messi crossed from the right wing, and Lautaro Martinez headed the ball into the net, helping Argentina take a 2-1 lead over England.

Ultimately, England were defeated 1-2 by Argentina, ending their title hopes.

England defender Dan Burn said: "It's really painful when you're only 10 to 15 minutes away from the World Cup final and you just can't get there. I think the team executed the game plan very well before we scored. We knew what kind of game Argentina was going to play, and I think we handled it quite well."

"But after the goal, we became a bit passive. Our defense retreated too deep, and considering that Argentina kept creating chances, I felt at that point that they would score sooner or later."

Dan Byrne pointed out, "We allowed them to send in too many crosses and gave them too many shooting opportunities. It's a real shame because we've been doing a fantastic job defensively in the previous few games. It's really disheartening to come so close to success and then fail to do so."

“I am really sad, but at the same time, I am incredibly proud of this team. Before the World Cup started, not many people believed we could get this far.”

Dan Byrne continued, "The brotherhood that everyone keeps talking about has really helped us get this far. To be honest, I really believed we could do it. I always felt that this year was our chance."

"But Argentina proved why they are world champions. They have experience in these kinds of matches and know how to win them. It is this experience that helped them ultimately emerge victorious."

In addition, England will travel to Hard Rock Stadium to challenge France in the World Cup third-place match.

Dan Byrne added, "At this stage, victory or defeat often hinges on the smallest margins. And Argentina seized their opportunity. When the final whistle blew, I was completely stunned, my mind went blank."

"When we were leading 1-0 with only 15 minutes left in the World Cup final, we certainly wanted to hold on to the victory until the end. So in the next few days, we will need time to process this defeat."

Image source: Internet