Texas [US], July 14 (ANI): England captain Harry Kane described the World Cup semifinal against reigning champions Argentina as a dream occasion, saying it was one of the biggest matches a player could experience.
He expressed excitement for the challenge and hoped that facing such a strong opponent would bring out the best in England.
England will face Argentina in the second semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time), with the Three Lions aiming to reach only their second World Cup final and their first since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.
“I mean, what a game, what an occasion to play one of the best teams, the reigning world champions, in a semifinal of a World Cup,” captain Harry Kane told ITV as per ESPN.
“In these moments, I think back to being a kid and having dreams and what it’d be like to play in these games. This is as big as it gets, so I’m really excited for this week. I think it’s going to be a special game and what a tough team to play against, but hopefully that brings the best out in us,” Kane added.
England’s journey to the semi-finals has been far more dramatic than that of their remaining rivals. After topping Group L, they edged past DR Congo 2-1 in the Round of 32 before overcoming Mexico 3-2 in a thrilling five-goal Round-of-16 encounter.
Norway provided an even sterner challenge in the quarter-finals. England fell behind early, squandered several chances during regulation time, and were taken into extra time before Jude Bellingham struck the decisive winner to seal a 2-1 comeback victory.
Notably, England have won each of their three knockout-stage matches by a one-goal margin, underlining the resilience they have shown on their run to the last four.
England have scored seven goals in the knockout stages but have also conceded in each round, making their route to the semi-finals appear less dominant than the more controlled campaigns of France and Spain. (ANI)
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