2026 FIFA World Cup: Cowardly Lions, It Will Never Come Home

England's late implosion against a Messi-inspired Argentina has produced some of the most gloriously savage social media reactions of the entire tournament, and to be honest, the Pulse of the Day desk simply could not let it slide.

German head coach Thomas Tuchel is bearing the brunt of it, and the pile-on has been nothing short of box office since Wednesday night.

The first half gave us little beyond Jordan Pickford somehow becoming the unofficial timekeeper of the hydration break, genuinely one of the stranger subplots of the night.

Then, in the 55th minute, Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock, finishing off a gorgeous cross from Morgan Rodgers to send England fans into raptures.

And then, England just stopped playing football. Rather than push for a second and put the game to bed, Tuchel's side retreated into their own box, content to sit deep and absorb pressure.

Substitutions followed, not attacking reinforcements, but defenders, eventually leaving England with no fewer than six of them on the pitch.

Argentina, sensing blood, made them pay in brutal fashion. Two goals in six frantic late minutes, courtesy of Enzo Fernandez and super-sub Lautaro Martinez, both assisted, inevitably, by Lionel Messi, turned the game on its head and sent Argentina through to the final.

It's now six semi-finals played, six semi-finals won for Argentina, with yet another trademark late comeback added to the collection.

Lionel Scaloni's reigning champions now face Spain in Sunday's final in New York New Jersey, and history is very much on their side.

Argentina become just the sixth team to win the World Cup and reach the final again the very next time out, joining an elite club that includes Italy (1934, 1938), Brazil (1958, 1962), Argentina themselves (1986, 1990), Brazil again (1994, 1998), and France (2018, 2022).

Even football royalty couldn't resist weighing in. Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas led the charge, branding England's approach outright 'cowardly.'

'England score the goal and then sit back. Cowardly approach,' Casillas posted on X. 'They haven't left their own box and have allowed [Argentina] to come forward more. The logical outcome happens.'

Fans were quick to point out exactly what happens when you hand Lionel Messi time and space for free.

'Una go dey free possession with Messi,' one supporter wrote. 'Messi with the ball is one of the most dangerous weapons in the world. He might have lost athleticism but that ball-striking and creative sense is eternal, man.'

Others zeroed in on the tactical logic or lack thereof behind Tuchel's defensive overload, especially given Argentina were already down to two centre-backs on yellow cards.

'Argentina's two centre-backs were on yellow cards and Tuchel chose to defend,' one fan pointed out, bewildered.

There was even room for a bit of selection-based comedy. 'This is where Maguire would've been useful, but the idiot didn't carry him,' one fan joked, only half-serious.

But it was the sheer number of defenders that really broke the internet.

'Tuchel is very stupid! How do you score one goal and start playing 5-4-1, which is actually nine defenders and just one striker up front?!' one exasperated fan wrote.

Another summed up the setup in equally unflattering terms: 'Tuchel with six defenders on the pitch with sluggish Harry Kane as the only outlet up top.'

And for some, this wasn't just a bad tactical call, it was a sackable one.

'Tuchel needs to be sacked for deciding to have six defenders after scoring against a team that didn't create one genuine chance before,' read one particularly blunt verdict.

Whatever the merits of the tactics, one thing is beyond debate: it will not, in fact, be coming home.

Argentina march on to Sunday's final. England are left to nurse their wounds and brace for a very long few days of tactical inquests.