It's a bit of a pedantic thing I suppose. Technically we are still in the world cup as the play-off is a world cup match and we are in it. Technically they should say that defeat to Croatia meant we were out of the running to win the world cup rather than out of the world Cup but I think we all knew what they meant!Then why did everyone say “England are out of the World Cup”?
Also a competition is defined as an activity to establish superiority. Therefore how can we still do that when we can’t win it?