England manager Thomas Tuchel has accepted responsibility for the 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final earlier this week.
The Three Lions now prepare to face France in the third-place playoff, after Didier Deschamps' side fell 2-0 to Spain in their semi-final.
A victory would secure England's best World Cup finish since their 1966 triumph, though reaction to the Argentina loss has been sharply critical.
Tuchel has faced scrutiny over his tactical handling after Anthony Gordon's opener was erased by a late Argentina comeback in the final five minutes.
The German coach defended his approach, stating he has no regrets about how the team defended a 1-0 lead with roughly 20 minutes remaining.
"If you're asking if I regret my decision, then I don't regret my decisions," Tuchel said. "I took several decisions, trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience, trusting my competitiveness, and I took the decision in order to help the team and get the result. We didn't get the result."
He acknowledged the responsibility but emphasized he would only regret failing to act. "I would regret if I didn't help. I would regret if we didn't react."
Tuchel explained the shift to a deep defensive block, noting England became too passive and failed to stop crosses and runners into the box.
"We decided to play a back five, to have more width in the field, to be closer to the guys who cross," he said. "Argentina found another gear and they found the total flow."
He pointed to the calibre of the opponent: "We played in the semi-final against the reigning world champions. We were 85 minutes 1-0 up. We played against the best player in the world, and we lost 2-1, which is painful."
England's near-miss continues a pattern of late-stage exits, including the 2018 World Cup semi-final and runner-up finishes at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Tuchel was appointed to succeed Gareth Southgate with the explicit aim of delivering a major trophy.
The manager conceded a gap remains between England and elite sides such as Argentina and Spain, and confirmed his intent to remain in the role to close it.
