Image source, Reuters Image caption, Jude Bellingham and his England team-mates were dejected at the full-time whistle
Chief football writer in Atlanta Published 36 minutes ago England's years of hurt will now stretch beyond 60, but the late collapse to a World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina may just be the most painful wound of all.
The clock inside the magnificent Atlanta Stadium showed England were five minutes of normal time away from ending the wait for a men's World Cup final that stretches back to 1966, when they lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley.
England's players and head coach Thomas Tuchel had immortality in their hands as they led through Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal.
Their grasp, however, was being loosened by catastrophic decision making from Tuchel that instigated wave after wave of Argentina attacks orchestrated by Lionel Messi.
One goal seemed inevitable - and it came from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute.
Then, with England on the ropes, they were floored by Lautaro Martinez's injury-time header.
England could not come back, so a stunned football nation wakes up to another desperate near-miss from this nearly team.
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Argentina shatter England's World Cup dreams in semi-final
Tuchel's unique selling point when he succeeded Sir Gareth Southgate was the idea he would win matches his predecessor could not.
That he would not be gripped by the caution Southgate was criticised for when losing the last two Euros finals to Italy and Spain, as well as the 2018 World Cup semi-final to Croatia.
The thinking was that Tuchel would drive England over the line, whereas Southgate supposedly retreated from it.
And yet, when it counted and the pressure was at its height, Tuchel produced the sort of tactical retreat - and loss - that would have seen Southgate pilloried.
Instead, it will now be Tuchel getting the criticism for that decision - and rightly so.
The Football Association went for a quick-fix appointment to succeed Southgate after Euro 2024, bringing in a proven winner whose sole mission was to win the 2026 World Cup, or put "a second star on the shirt" as Tuchel called it.
A semi-final can only rank as par, and, in the harshest light, a failure, because he was brought in to make sure England did not have any more hard-luck stories or disappointments.
And, as with Southgate, Tuchel has still not guided England to victory against a side there were not high expectations they would beat.
There will be recriminations about how Tuchel engineered England's defeat mainly by his own hand, effectively repeating everything that brought Southgate so much criticism.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England head coach Thomas Tuchel is expected to lead the team into Euro 2028
Once Gordon put England ahead in this latest stormy episode of an old and bitter rivalry, Tuchel decided on a rearguard action.
That had worked for England in their knockout wins over Mexico and Norway - but it would not against a Messi-inspired Argentina.
Tuchel replaced goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa with 18 minutes left and switched to a back five. He then brought Nico O'Reilly and Dan Burn on for Declan Rice and Reece James.
It was clear almost instantly that Tuchel had called it badly. It did nothing but invite Argentine pressure and those late goals. This one was almost all on Tuchel.
If there was one statistic that brutally condemned his approach, it was that England only had 12% possession between taking the lead and Martinez's winning goal nearly 40 minutes later.
Such was England's sudden attacking need in the closing moments that Tuchel threw on Ivan Toney after 96 minutes - his first appearance of the tournament.
Toney's "blink and you'll miss it" cap also brought some of Tuchel's selections under scrutiny. Was Toney simply picked for a penalty shootout that never came?
And the debate around Tuchel's defensive picks, especially at right-back, will continue to rage.
Tuchel gambled on the injury-prone Reece James staying fit - but when the Chelsea defender was sidelined with a hamstring issue, right-back suddenly became a problem position.
The position turned into musical chairs between Jarell Quansah - injured against Panama then sent off against Mexico - Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa before James was back for the semi-final.
All this while Trent Alexander-Arnold watched from afar, his natural gifts ignored by Tuchel on the basis of defensive frailty.
And as the ashes are raked over, Tuchel's decision to ignore the creativity of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden - easy to say with hindsight given both had poor seasons with Chelsea and Manchester City - and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White will be revisited.
Jordan Henderson, whose tournament ended in bizarre circumstances when he broke an arm amid the celebrations after the win against Mexico, was taken for his influence around the squad but was never going to be a serious on-field performer.
If Tuchel valued his professionalism and personality so much in this area, why not take Henderson on his backroom staff and open up a place for a younger, more creative player?
This was a desperate day for England - and Tuchel and his tactical approach.
A day when it could easily have been said, as the song goes: "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."
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Published 2 hours ago Was this England's most painful loss? England have suffered plenty of pain over the years, but as an observer covering a seventh World Cup, as well as those Euro final defeats, this felt like the worst.
This was not because it was against the old adversary Argentina, with all the history and iconic imagery that evokes, who created such obvious despair among England's players and supporters.
It was because this will be forever a World Cup semi-final of "what ifs" against an Argentina side that has looked beatable all tournament, but who simply refuse to lose.
This was the World Cup semi-final, the latest big chance to challenge for the sport's greatest prize in New Jersey on Sunday.
England were within minutes of crossing the barrier that has proved insurmountable for six decades, only to stumble again.
Gordon's goal looked to have finally given England a measure of control in an occasionally brutal game - and even after they ceded control and possession, the finishing line was in sight until they finally crumbled.
Given the stage, this is a defeat that will be pored over more - and leave more regret - than any other.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England suffered a second successive Euros final defeat under Sir Gareth Southgate in Berlin two years ago
England will always have that momentous, spine-tingling night at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, when they dug deep to beat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in the last 16.
It was one of their great World Cup wins, when Jude Bellingham proved his world-class credentials and Tuchel's changes and gameplan suggested he just might be the strategist to take England all the way.
Bellingham is joined in that elite class by captain Harry Kane, but the Bayern Munich striker will feel the pain of this exit more acutely than most because he will be 36 by the time the next World Cup comes around.
England have shown reserves of character to come from behind against DR Congo in the last 32 then Norway in the quarter-final, but the times when they truly flowed have been few and far between.
The manner of this crushing loss to Argentina will have England and their fans wondering if the major tournament curse will ever end.
The recovery will need to be quick with a Nations League fixture at home to World Cup finalists Spain - who beat the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final - in September.
'No regrets' - Tuchel on England's defeat by Argentina
The FA and Tuchel's relationship was initially just to the end of this World Cup, but in February he was handed an extension to take him through to Euro 2028.
It was a surprise and a heavy financial commitment by the FA, especially as they did not know how the World Cup would work out.
Tuchel's tournament cannot be judged as a total success, but he has the FA's backing to lead the team into the next Euros.
England will have to undergo an element of rebuilding, with the outstanding John Stones surely at the end of his international career. And will Tuchel keep faith with Marcus Rashford?
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is 32 so should continue, but potential successors need to be found.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Liverpool's 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha is an England star of the future having made a big impression in the World Cup warm-up matches
Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson can be the midfield bedrock for years, while a fully-fit Bukayo Saka will be another huge asset.
Tuchel still has the talents of Foden, Palmer and Gibbs-White to consider, as well as Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, while Liverpool's 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha showed what a glittering future he has in the World Cup warm-up games in Miami.
There is also the prodigious talent of Arsenal 16-year-old winger Max Dowman, another example of how England's future can be bright.
For now, however, the pain of the loss to Argentina, and the manner of it, will take some getting over for England and Tuchel.
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Sources: BBC Sport
