England crushes France 4-0 in first half of World Cup bronze final

England delivered a stunning first-half performance against France in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff, establishing a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime. The dominant display saw goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a brace from Bukayo Saka, who also scored the 300th goal of the tournament.

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That slaughter of France now, we have never seen in their World Cup history. It is shocking.

Rice opened the scoring in just the second minute, followed by Konsa's header from a corner in the 18th minute. Saka extended the lead to 3-0 in the 37th minute after a buildup involving Marcus Rashford. He then added his second and England's fourth goal in first-half stoppage time, completing a remarkable offensive performance.

Despite the intensity of England's play, both teams' coaches had previously indicated a lack of enthusiasm for the bronze medal match. England manager Thomas Tuchel stated that neither his players nor their French counterparts were eager to play the game. Similarly, France's Didier Deschamps suggested that it would have been better for both nations if the match hadn't existed, highlighting a common sentiment among top teams that only the final holds significance.

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The best for France and England would have been if this match did not exist.

The match took place while Argentina and Spain prepared to contest the World Cup final on Sunday.

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None of our and none of France's players want to play this game.