“Apocalyptic first half” and “demented match”: French press reacts to England’s 6-4 win

"An apocalyptic first half" and "a demented match": French and English media reacted with bewilderment to England's 6-4 victory over France in the World Cup third-place playoff.

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An fireworks display to finish

The match, played in Miami, was described as one of the most extraordinary encounters in the tournament's history. French sports daily L'Équipe highlighted the stark contrast between the two halves. England led 4-0 at halftime, seemingly cruising to victory. However, France mounted a dramatic comeback, reducing the deficit to a single goal multiple times, forcing England to defend desperately in the final minutes.

L'Équipe's digital edition led with "An fireworks display to finish," referencing the final match of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France's coach. The newspaper titled its print edition "Total Fury." It called the game "one of the craziest matches of his mandate," and described the first half as "the worst of his tenure, by far," criticizing France's physical and mental response as "cotton legs, a shattered mentality, and unworthy involvement."

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Les Bleus came close to an incredible comeback but fell to England in a completely demented match

However, the tone shifted as France rallied. L'Équipe attributed the turnaround to four tactical changes made by Deschamps. The publication also noted the crowd in Miami seemed to push "Les Bleus" after their third goal, with chants of "Mbappé, Mbappé" echoing from the stands.

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The worst first half of his tenure, and by far

Kylian Mbappé was a central figure, scoring twice and assisting another goal. He finished the World Cup with 10 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi as the competition's all-time leading scorer. Mbappé's performance put him momentarily ahead in the race for the Golden Boot, a title he won in 2022. He concluded the tournament with 22 goals in 22 World Cup matches, a new record.

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Cotton legs, a shattered mentality, and unworthy involvement