In the immediate aftermath, it will be easy to resort to the hypothetical. What if Lauren James had been given a starting role? What if Lauren Hemp had put away her early chances? What if England hadn't been overrun in midfield? What if the Lionesses had won the World Cup?
Reality, however, is what matters. The reality is that England didn't quite have what it took, this injury-hit squad who battled through so much adversity to get as far as they did finally came up against their match. The reality is that Spain were better, that they dominated the duels, and that they were the ones who managed to find what was needed.
But the reality is not all negative. The team will be temporarily knocked down but they've shown that they have a habit of getting up from difficult moments and coming out better for it. The agony of the Lionesses' near-miss will soon subside and they can begin to take stock of their achievements.
"I think we can be proud," said Georgia Stanway. "The last 9 weeks, 7 games - to wear a silver, it’s special.
"It’s hard to watch another team celebrate when it’s your goal and your dream. When the dust settles we’ll be really proud of this. We hope everyone is really proud of us back at home. We hope we’ve inspired many many people.
"We’re the Lionesses, so we won’t stop what we’re doing, we’ll continue to break barriers, we’ll continue to push on."
As much as this has been a tournament where England have developed as a footballing outfit it has also been one for the development of the women's game on the whole. The Lionesses have been cast as trailblazers ever since last summer's European Championship success and with each stride further they take there is a ripple effect. Advances have already been made from the grassroots to the professional level but this tournament can hopefully act as a platform for even greater change.
"It’s huge," captain Millie Bright said. "Credit to the tournament, the crowds we have generated and the support all the teams have had has been incredible. When we’ve walked the streets or gone on car journeys, there are posters everywhere. In terms of the women’s game, it’s the most visible I’ve seen. Hopefully, it will lead to new opportunities."
Reaching the final of the World Cup has at times verged on the surreal. England were cast aside with pre-tournament injuries seemingly hampering their chances but others were knocked out in the group stage while they rode their luck; their performance against Nigeria may have been lacklustre but they snatched victory on penalties; the unexpected return of Keira Walsh helped bolster their ranks to get through the latter rounds.
They had to fight to get to this stage – and get here for the first time in their history. The mere fact that they made it to a final is cause for celebration but what it could mean for the future is perhaps more important. This is a young England team, a team brimming with talented players taking part in what is arguably a changing of the guard as stalwarts depart, and now they know what it's like to reach a World Cup final. Only a few other England players are still alive to say that, and those are male.
England’s hopes of a first World Cup were dashed by Spain— (PA Wire)
Departing with a silver medal will provide the needed motivation for the future: this team have felt that pain and they won't want to feel it again.
"It's huge for everyone: past, present and future," Jess Carter said of England finishing as runner-up. "Every single player strives to win a World Cup, that's what your main ambition is. We got so close, it's invaluable experience for some of the youngsters, some of us who are a little bit less experienced. It's probably a little bit gut-wrenching for some of the older players.
"We're nothing but proud, nothing but happy with our achievement."
England will need to glean whatever they can from their World Cup foray and the lessons to be learned are numerous. What is already clear is that they have succeeded under a set of circumstances which may previously have proved too arduous and that is something in which they can take pride.
"I think we showed that against adversity, we showed up," said Lucy Bronze. "We were determined and resilient throughout the tournament - even before the tournament with missing a lot of players through injury and having a couple of different things happen throughout the tournament. We showed resilience to carry on and keep going and fighting.
Mary Earps was awarded the golden glove for her performances in the World Cup— (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
With younger players having blossomed and now a tournament record to support the belief that England deserve to be regarded as one of the world's top teams, the future looks bright. Their adventure Down Under may ultimately have failed to herald the wanted success but for Bronze, playing in her third World Cup, there are positives to take.
"I think we have a really strong squad," she added. "I think we showed that with the fact that we have made a final and nearly won, nearly took it to extra-time with many players from Euros having retired or got injured. The starting XI tonight, in attack especially, was very young and they have got many, many tournaments ahead of them."
It is the likes of Hemp, James, Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly, and Ella Toone that Bronze is referring to. They all have a World Cup final under their belt – something she had to wait to the age of 31 to achieve – and some have European success on their record too.
This next generation can play free from being haunted by memories of failures of old. Falling short at the greatest stage of all is unlikely to be a setback; rather it gives the proof and self-belief that these heights are achievable in years to come.
