England’s Harry Kane has said he is “absolutely gutted” after missing a crucial penalty shot that could have tied the match in his team’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to France.
Kane sent the ball sailing several feet over the French goalkeeper and his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Hugo Lloris, in the 83rd minute of the match on Saturday, essentially sealing a 2-1 win — and a semifinal place — for the French.
On Sunday, Kane said the botched scoring chance against the reigning World Cup champions “will take some time to get over”.
The 29-year-old striker also took “responsibility for” his botched shot.
“Absolutely gutted,” Kane wrote on Instagram.
“We’ve given it everything and it’s come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for. There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it but that’s part of sport.”
England has not won a World Cup since 1966.
The English captain’s missed penalty came as the Three Lions frantically attempted to claw themselves back into the match after Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud gave Les Bleus a slim 2-1 lead.
It was Kane’s second penalty kick of the match. The English captain had sent the crowd at Al Bayt Stadium into a frenzy in the 54th minute after he hammered home England’s first goal past Lloris to equal Wayne Rooney as the highest scorer for England.
Kane, though, said he is not about to dwell on the loss.
“Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge,” Kane said.
“Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament — it means a lot.”
Kane and his team will now set their sights on the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany.
Kane was a force in Qatar, scoring two goals and tallying three assists — the most by any player at the tournament — for the Three Lions after starting in all of England’s five tournament matches. The last time any English player accomplished the feat was David Beckham in 2002.
Kane ultimately fell short of his 2018 performance in Russia — his first World Cup — which saw him collect six goals en route to a Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.
Following the loss to France, England coach Gareth Southgate’s future with the team is uncertain.
Southgate said he needed time to decide whether continuing on as coach was the “right decision” for the team.
France now prepares to clash with a spirited Morocco in the World Cup semifinals.
