England winger Bukayo Saka says the squad still carries the emotional scars of their agonising World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina as they begin a new Nations League campaign.
England will face world champions Spain at Wembley on September 26, nine weeks after conceding two late goals in a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Atlanta.
Saka scored a hat-trick as England defeated France 6-4 to finish third at the World Cup, but the Arsenal winger said the disappointment of missing out on their first major men’s international title since 1966 remains deeply felt.
“Obviously, there’s still a scar in us,” Saka told the BBC on Wednesday.
“When you believed, and everyone was so united and so confident we could do it, not just us, but the whole country.
“We’re trying to draw a line under it now and focus on the new international season and what we have coming up now.”
Saka said the squad was now focused on qualifying from their Nations League group, despite the lingering disappointment.
“You try to move on as soon as possible, but a scar is a scar and decides to heal when it heals itself,” he said.
“But like I said, we’ve come here to a new international season, and we’ve got four massive, difficult group games to try to qualify us in the Nations League, which we’re fully focused on.”
Saka, who managed an Achilles injury throughout the World Cup, remained on the bench during the semi-final against Argentina after England manager Thomas Tuchel opted for defensive substitutions while protecting a 1-0 lead.
England eventually conceded twice late in the match, prompting criticism of Tuchel’s tactics.
Tuchel acknowledged last week that the coaching staff had conducted a critical review of the tournament as he prepares the team for the next phase.
“We have had critical reviews that will stay, of course, behind closed doors,” Tuchel said when announcing his Nations League squad.
“I am the biggest critic of myself, and reflection is sometimes necessary to get better, and experience is a crucial part of coaching,” the 53-year-old German added.
England are preparing for Euro 2028, which will be jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
