Despite the heartbreak of a World Cup semi-final loss, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about England's footballing future.

England's 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca was one of the nation's tournament highlights There is no sugar-coating a semi-final loss to footballing rivals in a World Cup. It hurts. Compound that with so many 'nearlies' in recent tournaments - back-to-back European final losses in 2021 and 2024, and another World Cup semi-final exit in 2018. Then if you add the manner in which England lost their grasp on a place in this final, it might seem difficult to find many reasons for positivity. But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom - we've found some reasons to be optimistic about England's footballing future. To have a squad containing not one but two Golden Boot contenders is no mean feat in a World Cup. It's perhaps not surprising that Harry Kane - who came in to the 2026 World Cup after averaging a goal every 66 minutes for Bayern Munich this season - quickly put himself in contention to be the competition's top scorer. He picked up two goals in the opening game against Croatia, followed by four more as England progressed through the tournament. Jude Bellingham was possibly a less likely candidate, having had a relatively quiet season at Real Madrid compared to his previous two after recovering from a shoulder operation.