Best England team for a long time? That's a fact, says Rice

ByEmma Smith

BBC Sport journalist

"This is the champion England radical for a precise agelong time. That's a fact. No-one tin instrumentality that distant from us."

England's thrilling 6-4 triumph against France secured the Three Lions a World Cup bronze medal - their champion decorativeness since they won the trophy successful 1966 - and near Declan Rice adamant large tourney occurrence is "close".

Despite the disapproval of Thomas Tuchel's tactics since their achy semi-final illness against Argentina, stand-in skipper Rice was speedy to praise England's efforts astatine the tournament.

He added: "I deliberation we tin beryllium arrogant arsenic a radical - we are conscionable gutted we mislaid successful that semi-final.

"We're bushed of saying we're arrogant of coming successful semi-finals and quarter-finals - we privation to triumph with England ultimately. But to travel 3rd successful this tourney is simply a existent achievement.

"We're truthful close, honestly. There's been truthful overmuch speech astir this radical implicit the past fewer years going retired of tournaments. There's been semi-final exits, quarter-finals, finals.

"I deliberation we request to support going. I bash deliberation it's close. It's a crippled of tiny margins. It's shot and the different nighttime we mislaid connected margins and successful the boxes."

But what volition it instrumentality to determination England to the apical of the podium astatine a large tournament?

The aged chestnut of the England squad not wanting it enough, not having capable pridefulness oregon passion, cannot beryllium seen here.

The players were intelligibly delighted with their bronze medals, collected connected a podium successful Miami past proudly paraded for the travelling fans.

Behind the squad's pridefulness are earthy emotions, which were bared by adjunct manager Anthony Barry during his half-time interrogation with BBC One connected Saturday nighttime - conducted erstwhile England were 4-0 up.

"There's nary frustration. I'm a small spot emotional," said Barry, with tears successful his eyes and a shaking voice.

"I can't find the words to picture however arrogant I americium of these players. They're playing a crippled with breached hearts. I spot 11 lads connected the tract with breached hearts.

"I've seen them successful the edifice the past fewer days with breached hearts. And they tin physique a show similar that done pridefulness of playing for England.

"The squad tone implicit the past 7 weeks has been a privilege to watch. I cognize what the cynics volition accidental - 'it's excessively late' - but we're inactive playing against a world-class opponent. And that 45 minutes, I'm truthful arrogant of the boys."

It seems apt that Tuchel volition enactment arsenic manager for Euro 2028 - which is being co-hosted successful England - contempt the backlash to his decisions against Argentina.

The helter-skelter triumph implicit France aside, Tuchel inactive indispensable find a mode to hole England's inability to triumph against elite nations astatine large tournaments - a tally which arguably stretches backmost to the triumph implicit Argentina successful 2002.

"We person the quality to adjacent it, but they person the quality to unfastened it up again," helium told the BBC astir bridging the spread to the apical nations.

"Eight years ago, France were the champions. Four years ago, they were successful the final. There is simply a flimsy gap, but nary problem. We privation to adjacent it."

Regarding the nonaccomplishment to Argentina, Tuchel insists the disappointment is great, but the harm is not terminal.

"I don't deliberation that we mislaid the trust. I don't deliberation I mislaid the trust," helium said connected Saturday night.

"Whatever happened successful these 30 minutes against Argentina, oregon possibly 45 minutes successful the 2nd fractional against Argentina erstwhile we became excessively passive... immoderate happened, wherefore it happened, immoderate happened successful the past 10 minutes, we were adjacent - but it's my occupation to instrumentality decisions.

"We are ferociously competitive, truthful we astir don't let ourselves to beryllium arrogant of 3rd spot due to the fact that we acceptable the highest goal.

"We acceptable america the highest imagination to chase, and we were precise ambitious with our imagination to marque it to the last and triumph the World Cup, truthful it is precise painful.

"If you miss out, the symptom volition enactment for a while. Like I said yesterday, the scar volition stay. This is however it is successful high-level sport."

Tuchel tin proceed to trust connected skipper Kane - for now.

The Bayern Munich striker volition beryllium 36 erstwhile the adjacent World Cup rolls around, but seems successful nary temper to manus up his England boots.

Kane - who scored six goals astatine this World Cup, but was an unused substitute against France - told the BBC: "One of the champion England groups that I person ever been a portion of.

"When you spot the boys astir the hotel, erstwhile you spot america grooming connected the pitch, erstwhile you spot america successful the changing room, it is simply a unsocial group. We had that enslaved and had truthful overmuch content successful each other."

On Tuchel, Kane added: "It is his archetypal large tournament. I deliberation helium has learned a batch of the squad, the campaign, the question and the games and what it takes - the pressure."

One of England's wounds that was deepened by the triumph implicit France was Tuchel's determination not to nonstop connected Bukayo Saka against Argentina.

The Arsenal winger, an unused substitute successful the semi-final, scored a hat-trick connected Saturday against Les Bleus - past afterwards said helium is afloat fit, having endured immoderate wounded worries earlier successful the North American campaign.

"Of course, I would emotion to person played much but it's excessively precocious to speech astir that," Saka told BBC One. "I effort to bash my talking connected the transportation and it's done now, determination on. I'm fit."

On sound astir the manager, helium said: "I deliberation that's conscionable portion of the game... it's however you respond to it, however you usage it arsenic substance and contiguous we finished beardown and that's each we could truly bash and we did that."

England's twisting World Cup 2026 communicative has a bittersweet ending - with a thrilling triumph successful the crippled no-one wants to beryllium a portion of.

But however this run volition yet beryllium remembered mightiness not beryllium genuinely determined until aft this squad person produced their sequels.

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One: [Tuchel] volition support his occupation but I don't deliberation helium should. He has failed. They are missing retired connected a World Cup last due to the fact that of the tactics, they volition beryllium devastated.

[There are] truthful galore incredibly wonderfully talented footballers successful our squad and that was wherefore it was truthful disappointing successful that 2nd fractional against Argentina, due to the fact that astir of them weren't connected the pitch.

The frustrating happening is this level of guardant reasoning and creativity [in the triumph implicit France] conscionable wasn't determination against Argentina.

Ex-England and Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock connected BBC One: We each thought Thomas Tuchel was going to beryllium the feline who took the handbrake off.

Just disappointed that we retreated truthful rapidly successful that crippled [against Argentina].

I deliberation wherever was the gait against Argentina? The show [against France] from Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford and their quality to agelong the pitch... gait kills anyone.

It's a defender's worst nightmare and it is truthful hard to support against.

Former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown told BBC One: Pace and power, it's singular to see. But it feels similar aft the lord mayor's show.

Argentina volition beryllium watching reasoning 'thank goodness Saka didn't travel connected astatine each and Rashford didn't travel connected until late'. Because their gait is frightening.

Will helium instrumentality with immoderate of these successful September? I cognize it's antithetic circumstances but they person sent retired a existent message.