England takes World Cup bronze after wild 6-4 victory over France

England clinched the World Cup bronze medal with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in a dramatic and high-scoring match. This marks England's second-ever World Cup medal, their first since winning the title on home soil in 1966.

“

It was a crazy match.

England established a commanding 4-0 lead in the first half, with captain Declan Rice scoring early and Ezri Konsa adding another from a Rice corner. Bukayo Saka then extended the lead with two goals before halftime. However, France mounted a strong comeback in the second half, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another to bring the score to 4-3.

“

We had a brilliant first half and a turbulent second half. You notice how much difference an extra day's rest makes, we are so, so tired. Great respect for the mentality we show.

Mbappé's second goal made him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, though Lionel Messi could still reclaim the record in the final. Despite France's efforts to equalize, England was awarded a penalty in the 85th minute, which Saka converted to complete his hat-trick and make it 5-3. Ousmane Dembélé scored late for France to make it 4-5, but Jude Bellingham sealed England's victory with a goal in stoppage time.

“

After the first half, I understood that many thought it was a shameful performance. I would say we were human. In the second half, we came back with the right attitude, but in the end, we lost and it was especially a shame for our coach.

England coach Thomas Tuchel described the match as "crazy" and acknowledged the team's fatigue after a turbulent second half. He praised his players' mentality. For France, the loss marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as head coach. Mbappé expressed disappointment with the first-half performance, calling it "shameful," but acknowledged the team's improved attitude in the second half.

“

Unfortunately, the first half suggested that we let him down and we didn't want to. We want to thank him for everything he has done, this match should not tarnish his reputation.