England Claims Third Place in World Cup Thriller Against France

England achieved a historic third-place finish in the 2026 World Cup, triumphing over France with a remarkable 6-4 victory in a goal-laden match. This marks the first time in 60 years that the Three Lions have secured a podium finish in the prestigious tournament.

The bronze medal match, held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, was an unprecedented display of attacking football. The ten goals scored surpassed the previous record for a third-place playoff, which stood at nine goals from the France vs. West Germany match. England dominated the first half, with goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, followed by a brace from Bukayo Saka, giving them a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime.

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For 45 minutes, France conceded the same number of goals (four) as in the previous seven matches.

France, under departing manager Didier Deschamps, showed signs of life in the second half after a series of substitutions. Kylian Mbappé netted twice, and Bradley Barcola added another goal, narrowing the deficit. However, England responded decisively. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, and Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with England's sixth goal in stoppage time.

Despite the loss, Kylian Mbappé's performance was notable. His two goals brought his total for the 2026 World Cup to 10, securing him the Golden Boot. He also set a new all-time World Cup scoring record with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. France's Michael Olise also made history with seven assists during the tournament, breaking Pelé's 1970 record. The match also signified the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France's manager.

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Mbappé scored a brace and assisted his teammate before the second hydration break. In this way, he surpassed Messi by two goals (8 to 10) in the top scorers table of the 2026 World Cup, as well as by one goal (21 to 22) in the classification of all-time top scorers.