Despite a painful semi-final loss to Argentina, England have five reasons for optimism. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham each netted six goals, jointly chasing the Golden Boot behind Mbappe and Messi. Kane's brace averted a round-of-32 exit against DR Congo, while Bellingham's double secured the semi-final spot against Norway.

Reaching the last four in four of the last five major tournaments marks immense progress since 2018. England coped with oppressive heat, humidity, altitude at the Azteca, and lightning delays better than rivals. Thomas Tuchel's bold selections paid off: Djed Spence, from relegation-threatened Tottenham, earned praise for key tackles in the semi-final.

Youth offers a bright future. Rio Ngumoha, 17, and Max Dowman, 16, impressed in warm-ups. Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Jarell Quansah, Morgan Rogers and James Trafford are all 23 – statistically peak age for the 2030 World Cup. England next face France for third place, then the Nations League, before targeting Euro 2028 on home soil.