# England Struggle Against Top-10 Teams

> England's record against top-10 opponents shows repeated World Cup exits and Euro final losses.
- Title: England Struggle Against Top-10 Teams · BBC Sport | Shortify
- Summary: England's record against top-10 opponents shows repeated World Cup exits and Euro final losses. England have lost all seven World Cup knockout matches to…
- Keywords: england, spain, world cup, euro 2024, nations league, thomas tuchel, harry kane, fifa rankings, england men's football team, sports, Struggle, Against
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cmr4v77zyr64o
- Published: 2026-09-26T06:41:39.479+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: england, spain, world cup, euro 2024, nations league, thomas tuchel, harry kane, fifa rankings, england men's football team, sports
## England's World Cup Exit
England lost to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, ending their hopes for the tournament.

> We just need to be ourselves
## World Cup Knockout Stumble
England have been eliminated every World Cup since 1998 when facing top-10 opponents.
## Euro 2024 Final Loss
England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, repeating their 2020 final defeat.
## Top-10 Record
In 15 matches against top-10 teams, England won six times, including two Euros semi-finals and one World Cup bronze.
## World Cup Defeats
England lost to France in 2022 and Argentina in 2026, both top-10 opponents in World Cup knockouts.
## Kane's View
Harry Kane says England need to 'be themselves' in big moments to overcome top-10 teams.

> We just need to be ourselves
## Tuchel's Challenge
Thomas Tuchel's first win over a top-10 team came in the 2026 World Cup group stage against Croatia.
## Euro 2024 Performance
England struggled in Euro 2024, losing to Spain in the final after a poor display.
## Key takeaway

England have lost all seven World Cup knockout matches to top-10 teams since 1998.