It’s not coming home, after all.Jude couldn’t not make it sad for England in the World Cup 2026 semi-final, and once again, England’s World Cup hopes crashed in the most heartbreaking way possible. It all fell apart right at the end, with Argentina pulling off a jaw-dropping 2-1 comeback in the 2026 semi-final. One could feel the heartbreak stretch from the pitch to the stands, and, as it turns out, it went all the way up to Prince William himself.
England vs Argentina: what happened?
For most of the night, it actually looked like England might just sail through. They hadn’t reached the men’s World Cup final since 1966, but Anthony Gordon gave them the lead in the 55th minute. Thomas Tuchel’s squad looked solid, with Jordan Pickford making save after save. Somehow, things just turned in the last 10-15 minutes.But that’s how football goes.England started sitting back, trying to protect their lead, but you could see the confidence draining away. Argentina became fiercer than ever. Fernández made it 1-1 in the 85th minute, and then, in stoppage time, Messi did what Messi does — set up Martínez for the winner.Long story short: Argentina are in the final, and England are left staring at the same old heartbreak.
How Prince William reacted
Quite expectedly, it’s tough to overstate how much this hit people back home. England fans felt gutted. Prince William, who’s been a huge part of England’s World Cup journey (and is the patron of the Football Association), summed up the national mood after the final whistle.The heir to Britain’s throne posted:“Gutted. England, you gave it everything and we are all so proud of you. Thank you to the players, manager and all the backroom staff for an incredible tournament. This is the most complete England team in a tournament that I can remember. Keep your heads held high.”Plenty of fans echoed that pride, even through the sting of such a fresh loss. William, Prince of Wales, however, hadn’t missed a beat. He’d posted regular updates during the tournament, celebrating every step forward under Tuchel’s leadership.Per AP News, a few days earlier, William even joked on the New Heights podcast with the Kelce brothers (Jason and Travis) that he was ready to hop a flight to the US if England made the final. That dream is off the table, for now.
Prince William and his ties with football
Prince William’s love for football is no secret. He’s a diehard Aston Villa supporter and has shown up for major England matches over the years — from the men’s and women’s tournaments to the Euros. His support is beyond ceremonial. England fans see him as a fellow believer, not just a royal face.After the final, the royal family’s official social media channels doubled down on William’s message, letting England’s team know that they’d made the country proud. There weren’t separate statements from King Charles or other royals, but the message was clear: the whole family stood behind the team.Of course, no loss goes by without people picking apart what went wrong. Some say Thomas Tuchel got too defensive after Gordon’s goal; maybe the team just got nervous and lost their shape. However, per Reuters, Harry Kane admitted later that Tuchel actually told them to keep attacking, but by the end, England just looked overwhelmed by Argentina.As of now, in the 2026 World Cup, Argentina faces Spain in the final.As for England, it’s 60 years and counting since that one taste of glory.
