Burn says World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina will haunt him

Dan Burn said the World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina would haunt him after England lost 2-1 in Atlanta, where 68,239 watched Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener slip away at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Enzo Fernández levelled in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez struck the winner in the 92nd minute, sending Argentina into the final against Spain in New Jersey.

Burn, who came on as a second-half substitute while England led 1-0, said the team had “got too passive” after going ahead and allowed too many crosses and chances into the box. “Gutted. Absolutely gutted,” he said, adding that the defeat would “haunt” him for a long time. He said England had carried out the game plan early on but lost the control that had carried them through the knockout rounds.

They beat Mexico 3-2 in the last 16 despite playing most of the second half with 10 men, then edged Norway 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Harry Kane also described the squad as gutted, saying England were 10 minutes away from the final and struggled to keep the ball after scoring. Burn said it was human nature to feel nervous when so close to the finish, especially after England had defended the box well in earlier rounds but were not as tight against Argentina.

England have now lost semi-finals in two of the past three men’s World Cups and were beaten in the European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024. England were due to face France in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday, 18 July 2026.

Burn’s own route to the semi-final was unusual. The 34-year-old was at his first major tournament, having come through non-league football via Darlington, and had been used mainly as a late-game defensive substitute. He made a crucial aerial clearance in the quarter-final win over Norway.