‘The change didn’t work’ – England player ratings

‘The change didn’t work’ – England player ratingsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, England have been eliminated every time they have faced a top 10 ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup since 1998 (7/7)Published15 July 2026, 20:49 BSTUpdated 50 minutes agoEngland missed out on a first men’s World Cup final since 1966 as holders Argentina came from behind to reach back-to-back finals.BBC Sport England reporter Alex Howell assesses how the players performed in Atlanta on Wednesday – and you can see how BBC Sport readers rated them at the bottom of the page too.Starting XIJordan Pickford: The England number one was a lot more assured than in the previous match with Norway. As Argentina sat deep, Pickford had the ball at his feet a lot and could threaten in behind the defence with his kicking. One poor pass which could have ended in an Argentina attack. One excellent save from a close range header to keep England in front but then beaten by a Fernandez strike late on before England lost. 7Reece James: It was a big call for Tuchel to bring James back in from the start but it was a decision that nearly paid off. The right-back produced a quality performance going forward and defending too but the whole defence tired before Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner. 7John Stones: A game which highlighted why Tuchel has always been so keen to have him in the side as the England back four had a lot of possession of the ball. A calming presence in a game with extremely high levels of tension. Unfortunately for Stones he missed his header as Martinez scored the winner. 6Marc Guehi: It was another dependable performance from Guehi who went under the radar for how solid he was throughout the match. 7Djed Spence: Continued where he left off from his impressive substitute performance against Norway. A great one-v-one defender and his pace offered England a threat in behind when Anthony Gordon went central. Got caught out once but Pickford produced the save. A memorable last-ditch tackle to stop Simeone. 8Elliot Anderson: Got on the ball often and kept it ticking over in the England midfield. Best in-possession game of the World Cup. Anderson took the ball in difficult areas and broke up the play too. Managed himself excellently after picking up a yellow card in the first half but it wasn’t enough to get England over the line. 8Declan Rice: Rice looked back to himself after shaking off illness. Covered a lot of ground as usual and linked up with James and Morgan Rogers on the right. His powerful run was a big reason why England took the lead. However, he could not help his side get over the line. 7Jude Bellingham: Dealt well with the dark arts in the middle of the pitch very well. Great run to win a free-kick in a dangerous position in the first half. Bellingham looked to carry the ball up the pitch as much as possible and provided a continuous threat. An immense work-rate. 7Morgan Rogers: Brought in on the right-hand side and pressed with real intensity alongside Gordon. His ability to run with the ball gave England an outlet when Argentina grew into the match. Provided the assist for Gordon’s goal. 7Anthony Gordon: Scored the goal which almost got England to the World Cup final. Gordon produced another performance which highlighted his incredible energy. Pressed really well from the left and provided an outlet alongside Rogers. 8Harry Kane: Not as involved as he would like in the first half, and had the fewest touches of anyone on the pitch in the first 45, as the stop-start match halted the flow of the game. Dropped deep to find space and it was his searching ball behind the Argentinian defence that started the move for England’s opener. 7SubstitutesEzri Konsa (72 mins): Brought on as England moved to a back five to see out the win but was part of a defence that conceded two late goals. 6Nico O’Reilly (82 mins): Tuchel brought O’Reilly on in midfield as he looked to use the Manchester City player’s height and ability to look after the ball. The change didn’t work and England could not keep possession. 6Dan Burn (82 mins): When Burn comes on it usually means England are about to secure a win but Tuchel’s go-to option didn’t have the desired effect today. 6Ivan Toney (96 mins): Part of the double-substitution made as England chased the game but no chance to impact the game. 5Marcus Rashford (96 mins): Thrown on as England chased a late equaliser after going behind. 5Player of the matchNumber: 25 D. SpenceAverage rating 7.87England (active)