England’s Harry Kane ‘gutted’ for missing penalty kick against France

“There’s no hiding it, it hurts,” the England captain said on social media of his missed World Cup penalty.

England’s Harry Kane has said he is “absolutely gutted” after missing a crucial penalty kick that could have tied the game in his team’s World Cup quarter-final loss to France.

Kane sent the ball several feet past the French goalkeeper and his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Hugo Lloris in the 83rd minute of Saturday’s game, essentially sealing a 2-1 victory – and a place in the semi-final – for the French.

On Sunday, Kane said the missed chance to score against the reigning World Cup champions “will take some time to get over.”

The 29-year-old striker also took “responsibility for” his missed shot.

“Absolutely gutted,” Kane wrote on Instagram.

“We have given everything and it has been reduced to a small detail for which I take responsibility. There’s no hiding it, it hurts and it will take some time to get over it, but that’s part of the sport.”

England have not won a World Cup since 1966.

The English captain’s missed penalty came as the Three Lions frantically tried to get back into the match after Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud had given Les Bleus a slim 2-1 lead.

It was Kane’s second penalty of the match. The England captain had wowed the crowd at Al Bayt Stadium in the 54th minute after he’d scored England’s first goal past Lloris to equal Wayne Rooney for England’s top scorer.

Kane, however, said he is not willing to dwell on the loss.

“Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge,” Kane said.

“Thank you 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 twice and tallying three assists, the most of any player in the tournament, for the Three Lions after starting in all five of England’s tournament matches. The last time an 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 rack up six goals en route to a Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.

Following the loss to France, England manager Gareth Southgate’s future with the team is uncertain.

Southgate said he needed time to decide if continuing as manager was the “right decision” for the team.

France is now preparing to clash with a spirited Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals.