England claim World Cup bronze in historic 10-goal thriller against France
The 2026 bronze final in Miami produced one of the highest-scoring matches in tournament history, with England overcoming a French resurgence to finish on the podium for the first time since 1966.
England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 6-4 victory over France in the bronze final held in Miami. The ten-goal contest stands as one of the highest-scoring games in World Cup history and the highest-scoring fixture in 44 years, marking the best performance by the English national team at a men’s tournament since their 1966 triumph.
Thomas Tuchel’s England established a commanding 4-0 half-time lead, driven by goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, alongside a brace from Bukayo Saka. The dominant first-half display appeared to insulate the hosts from a French comeback, but Les Bleus mounted a significant resurgence in the second period.
France reduced the deficit through three second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembele. Mbappe’s two strikes not only propelled his team back into contention but also saw him break the World Cup’s all-time individual goal record. The match saw the lead change hands again as Saka completed his hat-trick to restore England’s advantage at 5-4, before Dembele equalised once more to make it 5-5.
The decisive moment arrived in the 90+8th minute when Jude Bellingham scored a solo strike to seal the 6-4 victory for England. The result concludes the campaign for both semi-final losers, providing a high-scoring conclusion to the tournament’s lower bracket.
The match also marked the end of an era for French football, serving as Didier Deschamps’ final game as the national team manager. While Hungary holds the record for the largest margin of victory in World Cup history with a 10-0 win over El Salvador in 1982, this encounter remains notable for its sheer volume of goals and dramatic narrative arc.
Spain and Argentina are now set to contest the 2026 World Cup final at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July 2026. The final represents a clash of contrasting tactical approaches, with Spain’s possession-based structure facing Argentina’s adaptive resilience.
