Speaking to the media after defeating France, Declan Rice said, ”The current England team is the best in a long time. There is truth to that, no one can deny that.”
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Declan Rice, who captained England in Saturday's third-place play-off at the 2026 World Cup, has claimed that they are closer to a big success. Speaking to the media after defeating France, he said, "The current England team is the best in a long time. There is truth to that, no one can deny that."
England had lost to Argentina in the semi-finals and were forced to play for third place. But Rice remained positive. His goal gave England the lead in the third minute and was the second-fastest goal scored by England in a major tournament. He said: "As a team, we are proud that we only lost in the semi-finals."
He needed just two minutes and 14 seconds to open his account. The previous record for a goal in a World Cup was held by Bryan Robson, who scored in 28 seconds against France in the same league match in 1982. The fastest goal in a World Cup is held by Turkey's Hakan Suker, who scored in 11 seconds against South Korea in 2002.
Rice added: "It's been a long time since we've said we're in the semi-finals or the quarter-finals. Our ultimate goal is to win a major trophy for England. Meanwhile, even finishing third in a big tournament like the World Cup is not an achievement. I think we are on the verge of winning a big title. We have to keep moving forward.'
So when will England win a big tournament? What will it take for this? England's players also looked happy with the third-place medal and did not forget to thank their supporters. In this regard, England's assistant coach Anthony Bari said, 'The team is emotional for now, maybe there is no regrets.'
He added, 'I don't have words to describe how happy our players are right now. I think they played bravely despite hiding a lot of pain in their hearts. Even before today's game, all the players looked disappointed. But once they got on the field today, everyone gave 100 percent for their team. This team spirit must be admired.’
