England soccer star Harry Kane has taken responsibility for their World Cup quarter-final loss to France on Saturday.
The Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by the reigning world champions to set up a semi-final clash with Morocco on Wednesday after the Atlas Lions humbled Portugal one nil.
Kane scored the lone goal for England from the penalty spot after the break to level things after midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni scored a sublime opener for the French.
Kane, who had a first-half penalty appeal ignored by referee Wilton Pereira, had another opportunity to pull things level in the 84th minute, six minutes after Olivier Giroud restored France's lead.
The England skipper, however, dramatically missed the spot kick sending the ball over the bar as France held onto the lead until the final whistle.
"Gutted. 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 the sport," Kane said in a statement on Sunday.
He, however, said the loss will serve as a learning lesson for future assignments.
"Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament - it means a lot," he said.
England's best performance was in the 1966 tournament when they won the trophy on home soil.
They also finished in fourth place in 1990 in Italy and 2018 in Russia.
Other than these, the Three Lions have reached the quarter-finals on six other occasions, the latest being in 2022 in Qatar.
