England edge France 6-4 in chaotic World Cup bronze match

England secured third place at the World Cup with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in a chaotic bronze medal match. The game, played in oppressive heat, saw both teams make significant changes after suffering semi-final defeats. England's manager Thomas Tuchel left out key players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, while France's departing coach Didier Deschamps also benched several stars.

England took an early lead with a long-range strike from Declan Rice in the third minute, followed by a header from Ezri Konsa. Bukayo Saka extended the lead to 3-0 and then scored his second just before halftime, giving England a commanding 4-0 advantage. France's coach Deschamps described the first-half display as "catastrophic" and made four substitutions.

The second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Kylian Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament, moving him past Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. Bradley Barcola then pulled another goal back for France. Mbappe continued his historic performance by scoring his second of the match, becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals.

Despite France's comeback, England were awarded a penalty when Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence. Saka converted to complete his hat-trick, making it 5-3. France's Ousmane Dembele scored a late goal, but Jude Bellingham sealed England's victory with an individual effort in stoppage time, marking England's best World Cup performance since their 1966 win.

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the first-half display had been "catastrophic"