Rice: This is the best England squad in decades
That belief was expressed after England closed the 2026 World Cup by beating France 6-4 in the third-place match at Miami Stadium, Sunday (19/7).
"We are the best England team in decades. That's a fact, and no one can take that away from us," Rice said, as reported by ESPN on Sunday.
Despite failing to reach the final after losing 2-1 to Argentina in the semifinals, Rice believes the third-place finish is still worthy of praise. However, he emphasized that England will not be satisfied with simply reaching the semifinals or quarterfinals.
"We're tired of just saying we're proud of reaching the semifinals or quarterfinals. Ultimately, we want to be champions with England. But finishing third in this tournament is still a huge achievement," he said.
The Arsenal player also believes England are just one step away from winning the trophy. He believes their semifinal failure was determined by the small details that often make the difference in a football match.
"We've been really close. In recent years, there's always been talk of this team being knocked out of major tournaments, from the semifinals, quarterfinals, to the final. We just have to keep going because everything is decided by very small margins," said Rice.
England's progress in major tournaments has certainly improved over the past decade. Under Gareth Southgate, England reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup, and two European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024.
Now, in their first major tournament under Thomas Tuchel, England have once again broken into the top four and finished third.
Captain Harry Kane believes the current England squad has a special bond. The Bayern Munich striker also described the current team as one of the best he's had in his career with the Three Lions.
"This is one of the best England squads I've ever been a part of. When I see the players in the hotel, at training, and in the dressing room, we have a really special bond and a huge trust in each other," said Kane.
Tuchel had previously faced criticism from some England fans ahead of the match against France for his failure to guide the team to the final. However, Kane believes the German coach will learn a lot from his first World Cup experience.
"This is his first major tournament. I think he's learned a lot about the squad, the journey through the tournament, the matches, and the pressures involved. That experience will only make us better going forward," said Kane.
