After Anthony Gordon’s opener in the 55th minute of Wednesday’s semi-final, Argentina’s late double proved costly for Thomas Tuchel’s side, with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez sending the South Americans to their second successive final.Eight years ago, it was a similar story for The Three Lions in the semi-finals.
Kieran Trippier’s excellent free-kick had England ahead against Croatia, before Zlatko Dalic’s side dramatically turned the game on its head with goals from Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic.
As Croatia went on to play France in the final, Gareth Southgate’s England faced Belgium for the second time at the tournament, having lost 1-0 in the group stage.
This time, though, third place was up for grabs and the chance for England’s best finish at a World Cup since 1966.
However, it was not to be, as Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ earned a 2-0 victory in Saint Petersburg, thanks to strikes from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard.
It was the second time England had played in the Bronze Final – after losing to host Italy 2-1 in 1990 – but who featured in that game and where are they now?
England XI v Belgium (2018)
Jordan Pickford (Goalkeeper)
Jordan Pickford is one of three players to start in both the 2018 and 2026 semi-finals, alongside Harry Kane and John Stones.
The shot-stopper has been England’s No. 1 since the World Cup in Russia, then aged 24, and nothing has changed. He recently became England’s record World Cup appearance holder with 19 games – overtaking fellow goalkeeper and overall record England cap holder Peter Shilton.
Pickford helped England reach back-to-back European Championship finals and the 2022 World Cup quarter-final, and was one of the heroes as The Three Lions overcame Mexico earlier in this summer’s tournament after making some stunning saves.
He joined Everton a year before the 2018 World Cup and, after 358 appearances and a stadium move, he is still between the sticks for The Toffees, but has he played in his last tournament for England?
Jordan Pickford
Image credit: Getty Images
John Stones (Centre back)
Another England player who looks to have missed out on his last chance of World Cup glory.
Like Pickford, Stones has been a huge part of the England set-up since 2018 and levelled Shilton’s 17 World Cup appearances when he started against Argentina. He is now joint-third on the all-time list behind Pickford and Kane.
Stones recently left Manchester City after 10 years at the club, having won six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups and three League Cups, and is now available as a free agent.
Harry Maguire (Centre back)
It was well documented how disappointed Harry Maguire was not to make the squad for the 2026 World Cup, having been a rock at the back under Southgate.
Maguire made his World Cup debut in 2018 and played in every game alongside Stones, and after moving from Leicester City to Manchester United a year later, he kept his place in the England team.
He featured at Euro 2020, as well as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but missed out on Euro 2024 through injury.
Still at United, Maguire has had his struggles under the various managers at Old Trafford, but looked rejuvenated under Michael Carrick last campaign.
Phil Jones (Centre back)
After 27 caps for The Three Lions, the game against Belgium proved to be his final one.
He only featured twice at the 2018 World Cup, which came in both defeats against Belgium. They were the two of the three World Cup appearances he made in his career, having featured against Costa Rica in 2014.
Jones, now only 34, was at Man Utd from 2013 to 2023 and made 229 appearances for the club, before announcing his retirement a year later to focus on his coaching career.
Phil Jones
Image credit: Getty Images
Danny Rose (Wing back)
Like Jones, Danny Rose was used as a squad player at the 2018 World Cup but made five appearances – three off the bench – in his only World Cup for England.
Rose, who also played three times under Roy Hodgson at Euro 2016, was at Tottenham Hotspur at the time of the World Cup in Russia.
In 2020, he moved to Newcastle United on loan, before leaving Spurs after 13 years to join Watford, ahead of his retirement in 2024.
Kieran Trippier (Wing back)
Trippier gave the nation an unforgettable moment at the 2018 World Cup when his free-kick in the semi-final against Croatia flew into the top corner after five minutes.
He played in six games during that tournament as one of Southgate’s starters and converted a penalty during England’s first-ever triumphant World Cup penalty shoot-out, against Colombia in the round of 16.
Having been with Spurs at the time, Trippier went on to play for Atletico Madrid in La Liga before returning to England to join Newcastle, where he was made captain.
Now 35, Trippier left The Magpies this summer and joined Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a two-year deal.
Eric Dier (Central midfielder)
Eric Dier was the hero as his penalty sent England to the quarter-finals, another memorable moment from The Three Lions’ time in Russia.
He played six times in that tournament and featured twice at the following World Cup in Qatar off the bench.
The midfielder was one of five Spurs players to feature for England in this game, and he remained with the club for another six years before going on loan to Bayern Munich.
That move was made permanent, and he went on to win the Bundesliga title alongside Three Lions team-mate Kane, before making the switch to current team Monaco.
Messi: It’s crazy what this group has achieved
Video credit: SNTV
Fabian Delph (Central midfielder)
Man City’s Fabian Delph made his World Cup debut at the tournament in a 6-1 win over Panama, in one of his four appearances.
Having been named in the squad for Euro 2016 but ruled out through injury, the World Cup in 2018 was his only major tournament with England.
Delph was a Premier League champion with Man City and then won it again the year after. He was also part of the England squad that came third in the UEFA Nations League in 2018/19.
He went on to spend three years at Everton, before retiring in 2022.
England team v Belgium, 2018
Image credit: Getty Images
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Central midfielder)
Another player who benefited from making one of his few World Cup appearances in this game was Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
He played four times overall in Russia, and only 11 times for the nation in total, before his last Three Lions appearance in a friendly against Wales in 2025 – his first England game since 2018.
Loftus-Cheek, who was at Chelsea at the time, went to Fulham on loan in 2020 before making a permanent switch to AC Milan in 2023.
Now 30, Loftus-Cheek has been linked with a move back to England this summer.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Image credit: Getty Images
Raheem Sterling (Striker)
One of the more successful England players to feature in this game was Man City’s Raheem Sterling, who played 82 times for England in all.
He featured 12 times at the World Cup in total – in each of England’s games in 2018 except the dead rubber group game against Belgium – and grabbed two assists in the thumping 6-1 win over Panama.
Sterling left Man City in 2022 and spent four years at Chelsea, which included a year-long loan spell at Arsenal. Following his return to Chelsea in 2025, where he was exiled from the squad, he joined Dutch club Feyenoord the following winter.
Harry Kane (Striker)
Since the 2018 campaign, Kane has arguably gone on to become England’s greatest-ever player.
He is England’s record goalscorer and record World Cup goalscorer, having overtaken Gary Lineker at this year’s tournament. After scoring six times in North America, Kane now has 14 goals in 18 World Cup matches.
During the 2018 tournament, England’s captain played for Spurs but joined Bayern Munich in 2023 and has gone on to be one of the best, and most prolific strikers in world football.
Subs
Marcus Rashford
The fifth player to feature in this game who is still part of the current set-up.
Marcus Rashford played a part in North America under Thomas Tuchel, racking up his 16th World Cup appearance in the process.
He was one of only two players to score other than Kane and Jude Bellingham, when he netted against Croatia in the opening game.
After a loan to Aston Villa from Man Utd, Rashford spent the season at Barcelona but is set to return to The Red Devils this summer with his future up in the air.
Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard was one of Southgate’s key players at the 2018 World Cup, playing six times in total and starting in every game except the Bronze Final.
Lingard, who played 32 times in total for England, has had an unusual career path since he left Man Utd in 2022.
After a prolific loan spell at West Ham United, he spent a season at Nottingham Forest before moving to South Korean club FC Seoul. He then went on to play for Brazilian outfit Corinthians, where he still plays today at the age of 33.
Jesse Lingard
Image credit: Getty Images
Dele Alli
Dele Alli was one of England’s most exciting players leading up to the 2018 World Cup, and he played a big role under Southgate, but he was not able to build on it.
He played seven more times for England, but only in the following year, and after making his last appearance in 2019, has not featured in the squad.
After falling out of favour at Spurs, Alli tried to reignite his career on Merseyside with Everton. It did not go to plan, so he went on loan to Besiktas, but he struggled there too.
After not playing for two years, he made a permanent switch to Como under Cesc Fabregas. In his only game for the club, he came off the bench before being sent off 10 minutes later for a tackle on his team-mate in the Bronze Final against Belgium, Loftus-Cheek. Alli is currently a free agent.
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