England were beaten 2-1 to Argentina and Harry Kane has been criticised by a former Premier League referee12:01, 17 Jul 2026Former Premier League referee Graham Scott has criticised the ‘irritating’ behaviour from England star Harry Kane during their World Cup defeat to Argentina. The Three Lions lost 2-1 to get knocked out of the tournament in the semi-final stage, and will now face France in the third-place play-off.‌England had held a 1-0 lead thanks to a second-half goal from Anthony Gordon, before Argentina responded with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to secure the victory.‌Referee Ismael Elfath handed out four yellow cards across the 90 minutes, with just one going to an England player. Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo De Paul were all booked for Argentina, while Elliot Anderson was cautioned for England.‌Scott, who spent 10 years refereeing in the Premier League, explained why he did not like what he saw from the England players during the defeat to Argentina."It really annoys me watching our players trying to chip away at the ref because that's not going to work," Scott told talkSPORT. "I've been on the receiving end of it from these people."It just annoys you [as a referee]. It doesn't get you what you want [as a player]. It doesn't achieve what you're hoping it will achieve.‌"And, well, the Argentinians seem rather more effective at it – so what can we learn from that?"It's also understanding about how different referees operate. So, do we actually watch the ref? Do we analyse them before the game? Do we think, 'Right, he's going to let this go'?‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page"We [referees] can exploit that as well, potentially, but also, be ready for that onslaught because it's coming."Scott also opened up on what it’s like to referee a game with Kane and offered some advance for the England captain.‌"He's [Kane] very repetitive," Scott said. "And it is the sarcastic leading question of 'Is he going to be allowed to do that all day? Are you going to give us anything? Do you know there are two teams out here...?'. And it just irritates you."[I used to think], 'I wish you'd just go away' and then... if anything, when the 50-50 call comes in, 'No, you're not getting it, because I've taken against you as a person now'."It doesn't work, Harry, and I'd love to speak to him about it because he could be effective, sure, but what he's trying now doesn't work.”Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent