England’s defeat at the hands of reigning world champions France during their World Cup quarter-final encounter at the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday night has put the future of Gareth Southgate in question.
The 52-year-old England coach has since chosen to remain mum regarding his future at the Three Lions, who bowed out of the soccer spectacle in Qatar.
“When I’ve been through the past few tournaments, my emotions have been difficult to really think through properly in those following few weeks. It took so much energy out of you, and you have so much going through your mind,” said Southgate after the match.
“I want to make the right decision either way, because it has to be the right one to go again, or the right one not to go again, and I don’t think tonight is the time to make a decision like that.”
The Three Lions crashed out of yet another major tournament in familiar fashion, when Harry Kane ballooned a penalty kick in the dying stages of the game, resulting in Southgate’s charges losing 2-1.
France coach Didier Deschamps’s charges started off on the front foot when Aurelien Tchouameni scored a brilliant goal from a long way out, leaving England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with no chance, to put his side ahead in the 17th minute.
England equalised in the 54th minute courtesy of a Kane penalty.
Moments later France restored their lead through an Olivier Giroud glancing header, to increase his international all-time goalscoring record to 53 goals, ahead of Thierry Henry with 51 goals.
Kane got another spot kick to level matters in the 84th minute, after Mason Mount was brought down inside the box by Theo Hernandez, but the Tottenham Hotspur striker failed to convert.
England’s squad consisted of an average age of 26, with Jude Bellingham being the youngest player to start a World Cup quarter-final for England at the age of 19. Ahead of the joint 2026 Fifa World Cup set to be held across Canada, USA and Mexico – the English golden generation will be in the prime of their careers.
Bellingham will be 23 years old, Bukayo Saka 25, Phill Foden 26, Reece James 26, Declan Rice 27 and Marcus Rashford will be 29 years old.
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