Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, the former England duo, agreed on one opinion following the Three Lions' 2-1 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

Alan Shearer said, according to The Sun: "Thomas played his cards far too early, hoping England could hold on, but it backfired on him. But these are the decisions that make a big difference."

He continued: "We praised him for what he did, resorting to five defenders in the previous two matches when England was under immense pressure."

He went on: "Now I think we've gone the other way and think: Could he have changed something differently and increased the pace a bit? Because everything was coming back to England."

Shearer added: "They had no outlet, because every time they regained the ball they lacked energy. They were physically and mentally exhausted as soon as Argentina scored the first goal."

He added: "The better team won. The changes left us with no passing opportunities. We had six defenders on the pitch 25 minutes before the end of the game. Frustrating."

Michael Owen agreed with him regarding Argentina's right to win over England.

Owen said: "Watch Spain leading 1-0 last night. That is courage. That is daring."

He continued: "Then watch England leading 1-0. What's the difference? We are a better team than Argentina, I have no doubt about that, but we deserved to lose in the end. In fact, it could have been 4-1. Playing with three defenders and the score 1-0 in our favor. What message does that send?"

He concluded: "As long as we don't understand that courage and daring lie in controlling the ball under pressure, not in kicking it or heading it 40 yards, this will always be the final result."