England Wins Thrilling Third-Place World Cup Match 6-4; Mbappé Becomes All-Time Top Scorer

England clinched third place in the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in Miami, securing their best World Cup result in 60 years. The match, described as a "crazy game" by goalscorer Bukayo Saka, saw England dominate early, building a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime.

Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by goals from Ezri Konsa and a brace from Bukayo Saka, who completed his hat-trick with a late penalty. This first-half performance marked a historic low for France, as they conceded four goals in a single half of a World Cup match for the first time. Kylian Mbappé, however, continued to make history, scoring twice to surpass Lionel Messi as the all-time leading World Cup scorer with 22 goals and taking the lead in the tournament's Golden Boot race.

After the break, France mounted a spirited comeback, with Mbappé adding two more goals and Bradley Barcola scoring to narrow the deficit to 4-3. Ousmane Dembélé also contributed a late goal, but England ultimately secured the win with Saka's penalty and a late strike from Jude Bellingham.

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It was a crazy game. We are still disappointed that we didn't reach the final. But we had a good finish.

Despite the victory, the match highlighted concerns for England's coach, Thomas Tuchel. Similar to their semifinal performance, England allowed France back into the game after holding a significant lead. The team's ability to maintain concentration and secure a comfortable win came under scrutiny, especially after a strong first half.

The match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France's coach. Deschamps, who led France to a World Cup title in 2018 and a final appearance in 2022, expressed his mixed emotions about stepping down. His departure leaves a void, with Zinedine Zidane reportedly being considered as his successor.

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The French national team will be missed.