England beat France in 10-goal World Cup third place thriller

England secured third place in the 2026 World Cup by defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling, high-scoring playoff match on Saturday. The game, played in the oppressive heat of Miami, saw both teams make significant changes to their starting lineups after suffering semi-final exits.

England took an early commanding lead with goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, extending it to 4-0 by halftime with two goals from Bukayo Saka. France, despite a strong threat from Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, found England's second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in excellent form.

France coach Didier Deschamps, in his final match after 14 years at the helm, urged his team to show pride at halftime. His substitutions paid off as Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament, moving him past Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings and becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals. Barcola also netted a goal for France, narrowing the deficit.

However, England extended their lead when Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot. Jude Bellingham then scored England's tenth goal of the match with an individual effort, becoming the first England player to score seven goals at a single World Cup. Despite a late goal from Dembele for France, England held on for the victory.

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The first-half display had been catastrophic.