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National treasures! How the papers reacted to England's World Cup heartbreak in Russia

How the newspapers reacted to England’s defeat.
How the newspapers reacted to England’s defeat.

England fans are waking up after their World Cup dream ended in tears last night – but there is plenty of national pride to read about in this morning’s papers.

The brave Three Lions are coming home as heroes after reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.

Croatia proved too strong in extra-time as Mario Mandzukic netted a late heartbreaker to deny Gareth Southgate’s men the chance to take the match to penalties.

READ MORE: England’s World Cup dream ended by Croatia

However, there is an overwhelming sense of patriotism on both the front and back pages of the national press to help people find some comfort from the defeat.

England’s players have been described as ‘heroes’ and ‘national treasures’ by the Daily Mirror while the Daily Express thanked the team for their efforts.

READ MORE: England player ratings after heartbreaking Croatia loss

READ MORE: Five things we learned from England 1-2 Croatia

Take a look at how the media reacted below.

Daily Mirror

The Guardian

The Daily Telegraph sport

Daily Express

Daily Star

The i

Daily Mail sport

Metro

The Sun

The Sun’s front page
The Sun’s front page

Gutted England captain Harry Kane said: “The fans were amazing, it was a tough game. We worked as hard as we could. It hurts a lot, it is going to hurt for a while.”

Three Lions manager Southgate added: “The biggest thing is – you saw the supporters. I can’t ask any more than what the players and staff have given.”

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“We are where we are as a team. We’ve come an incredible way in a short space of time. ”