the missing piece. Harry Kane blurted out the words with a huge smile. He was talking in a mixed zone about England’s bid to become world champions after defeating Norway. Then the memories came flooding back, his eyes drifted away from the cameras and wandered aimlessly. If he had closed his eyes, he would have relived the worst moment of his life. Al Bayt Stadium fell silent when he scored a penalty in regulation time against France in the quarter-finals of the last edition. His eyes were hollow, he did not cry, he recovered so quickly from the odds that his fellow converts could not.
But oblivion is long. At a press conference that night, he believed he would “probably remember it for the rest of my life”.
Players don’t have the mentality of robots to shrug off tragedy. Over the next four years, on numerous occasions, he detailed how he used the bitterness of the affair to motivate him. But heartbreak won’t leave England. Two defeats followed in the finals of the European Championship. Those two words “missing piece” assumed personal significance for Kane, his colleagues and the country. A generation of English footballers could relate to the injuries Kane suffered and probably still do.
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Most of the World Cups they have featured in since winning the trophy in 1966 have been English tragedies. Images that are metaphors for England’s inherent sadness (or karma for the sake of 1966 refereeing or ineptitude or discomfort in clutch moments, as described by their detractors). It is dutifully repeated as if the nation derives a sense of catharsis from being freed from this suffering.
Hand of God, Tears of Gazza; Beckham brain-fed; Ronaldinho Worldy; Harry Holler; Rooney petulance, Lampard line-trimmer. They are haunting memories stuck in the nation’s collective consciousness, waiting for a release that only victory can release.
So that a new version is called for, a new revelation is brought forth. Paul Gascoigne has some teammates who believe he acted selfishly after receiving a yellow card in the semi-final against Germany (1990) that ruled him out of the final if England qualified. He was so incensed that he refused to take a penalty in the shootout in which England lost, and was absent from the game after receiving a yellow card in the 100th minute. Sensing his fragility, his manager Bobby Robson told him: “Look, I know you can’t play in the final but what you can do is make sure all the other guys can. Just focus on that.” But he was so devastated, or self-absorbed, that he could not see beyond his misfortune. The nation fell in love with him at that moment and he fell in love with the bottle too. His career took off, he battled depression and alcoholism before resurrecting himself.
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Thus, every time England are in the knockout stages there is a sense of fatalism, a sense of dread that someone will end the night as a tragic hero, or a piece of irreversible bad luck will crush them, or another piece of indiscretion, or an opponent’s deception, or their dream will fall short. England have certainly been unlucky, wronged by referees, bogged down by the gray lines of the referee’s manual, cheated by opponents, but often let themselves down in tactics, mentality and discipline. The media hype was overwhelming and the pressure was unbearable. Episodic iterations of golden generations fought and failed.
England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates with teammate Harry Kane (left) after scoring his side’s first goal in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between Mexico and England. (AP Photo)
Thankfully for England, Thomas Tuchel’s side arrived without those major appeals, although they did leave a glittering array of riches back home. There are no superstars in the group, only stars. Even their most decorated player, Harry Kane, is not as deified as Beckham or Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard. Jude Bellingham, pin-up boy and Real Madrid Galactico have yet to acquire Wayne Rooney’s aura. Perhaps, the toxic superstar culture has died down or they can both play club football outside the country.
Over the course of the tournament, they have shown resilience and flexibility that previous brigades lacked, showing a kind of stubbornness to force their way, settle and win games, even when they have performed to their optimum potential.
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Jerrell Kwansah’s red card against Mexico felt like one of those classic freezing points, another metaphor for tragedy. They floundered momentarily, scored, but formed a stirring rearguard that showed their stubbornness, their endurance and their determination to win. Exorciing Azteca demons, was a relief.
Perhaps, the fight came from pain. This generation knows the pain of losing a final. Six players started against Spain in the Euro final two years ago against Norway; Eight of those players were in the team that lost to Italy in 2021. John Stones, Jordan Pickford and Kane will remember the agony of Moscow.
But tragedy has hardened them. “There will be moments when it doesn’t go your way. But [it’s] The way I learned from it motivated me to do better and improve. Even for the team, we’ve been through heartbreak together,” Kane said.
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There couldn’t be a better match against Argentina in the semi-finals to ease the burden of the past. The curse that began with Maradona’s men could end up defeating Messi, denying him a final and title defence. It can make the hand of God seem more tolerable, human folly and all tragedy more painful.
“Argentina went ahead and won, so we’re still a few games away from correcting that mistake,” Bellingham would say after the Azteca’s astute observation that they both underestimated the new Argentina and were clear about the ultimate goal – winning the World Cup.
The missing piece is not just a trophy, but an escape from a tragic fate, some have hurt themselves. The missing piece is now two steps. The first is the most symbolic of all.