England came up short on the biggest stage once again on Saturday night as they were knocked out of the World Cup by France in the quarter-finals. Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud struck for Les Bleus either side of a Harry Kane penalty. And when Kane blasted a second spot kick over the crossbar with six minutes remaining, the writing was on the wall for the Three Lions. England will now have to wait until at least 2026 to end their long wait for a second World Cup trophy. And Express Sport takes a look at five players who may have now played at their last World Cup.
Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker produced an excellent performance to keep Kylian Mbappe quiet against France. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is the top scorer at the Qatar tournament after bagging five goals but was unable to add to his tally at the Al-Bayt Stadium.
Walker has bags of pace and still commands a starting place in Manchester City’s side. But he’ll be 36 by the time the next World Cup gets underway. And he’s unlikely to still be able to offer what he did in Qatar.
Kieran Trippier
Another right-back who will be entering the final stages of his career in 2026 is Kieran Trippier. The Newcastle player started England’s first two matches in Qatar as Walker was recovering from injury and has been a Gareth Southgate favourite over the years. But he’s 32 now and England will surely have better options to secure a place on the plane for the tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister claims he was ‘buried’ after World Cup exit
Callum Wilson
Callum Wilson has surely also appeared at his one and only World Cup. The 30-year-old Newcastle striker, who has only ever won six caps for his country, came off the bench in the group stage games against Iran and Wales. But there will be younger strikers coming through by the time the next World Cup comes around. And Wilson will likely be nowhere in sight.
Conor Coady
Conor Coady is also highly unlikely to travel to another World Cup. The centre-back didn’t actually make it onto the pitch in Qatar but was included in Southgate’s 26-man squad. But the Everton player will just be happy to be playing in the Premier League in 2026, by which time he’ll be 33 years old.
Source link
