England midfielder Jordan Henderson defended captain Harry Kane who missed a late penalty in the Qatar World Cup quarterfinal against France here.

Defending champions France edged England 2-1 to reach the semifinal against Morocco.

Harry Kane scored one penalty for England, but blazed another over the bar in the 83rd minute what would have taken the match into extra time after Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud scored for France, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We know how many penalties Harry has scored for us, how many goals he has contributed to even get us here. He will be stronger for this in the future. He is a world-class striker and our captain, he will bounce back," said Henderson, who believed England were real candidates to win the World Cup.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Giroud nets match winner as France edge England 2-1 to reach semis