Thomas Tuchel had just watched Jordan Henderson trip over the advertising boards outside the tunnel, an accident serious enough to end the midfielder’s tournament.
Moments later, in the dressing room, Declan Rice pointed the England manager toward John Stones, who was wincing in apparent pain.
The concern on Tuchel’s face lasted a beat. As the music rose, Stones straightened up, pumped his fist into the air and broke into a dance. Tuchel pulled him into a hug.
The Football Association’s 42-second edit of the moment passed 20 million views on X and has kept travelling this week in best-of-tournament social roundups.
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Stones kept a straight face
The defender addressed the joke ahead of England’s quarter-final against Norway.
“I tried to keep a straight face as I was doing it because I saw he was concerned and thinking, ‘has he actually hurt himself?'” Stones told England’s in-house media.
“Especially after what Hendo had just done outside, he didn’t know what was going to come but it was good vibes in there.”
Stones said he had not expected the clip’s reach.
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“I didn’t think it would get that much traction, to be fair.”
Argentina ended the run in Atlanta
England advanced past Norway but their tournament ended in the semi-final, where Argentina came from behind to win 2-1.
Anthony Gordon put Tuchel’s side ahead early, before Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez turned the tie in the second half.
Tuchel called the exit “my pain and the players’ pain” and took his squad into the third-place play-off against France on Saturday in Miami.
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The FA clip has outlived that defeat. It is still being shared three weeks on.
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