Gareth Southgate's response to questions on England future
Gareth Southgate said he would need time to consider his future in the wake of England's World Cup exit.
The Three Lions suffered penalty heartbreak again as Harry Kane missed the chance to equalise late on, having netted from the spot early in the second half.
Aurelien Tchouameni's opener from distance and Olivier Giroud's header proved enough for Les Bleus to book the semi final tie with Morocco as they look to defend their 2018 crown.
Questions regarding Southgate's future as England manager are never too far away but he gave little indication of a decision on his role going forward in the aftermath of the quarter-final defeat.
“I think after every tournament we’ve sat and reviewed and reflected,” Southgate told ITV Sport.
“That needs a little bit of time to make sure that everybody makes the right decision.”
Southgate took charge after England's Euro 2016 debacle - a brief Sam Allardyce stint aside - and led them to the semi finals of the 2018 World Cup before being beaten finalists at Euro 2020.
They had performed well through the 2022 World Cup with comprehensive wins over Iran, Wales and Senegal alongside a tricky draw with the USA.
The France defeat ends their hopes this year, with the next tournament taking place in North America in 2026.
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“We were here to try to win the tournament,” Southgate added.
“We had the belief that we could, and we showed in our performance tonight against the reigning champions, that we have a team that could have done that.”