England defeats France 6-4 to secure third place as Mbappe breaks World Cup scoring record
England overcomes a 4-0 halftime deficit to beat France 6-4, with Jude Bellingham becoming the Three Lions’ all-time top scorer at the tournament.
England secured third place at the 2026 World Cup with a 6-4 victory over France in Miami on 18 July 2026, a match that also saw France captain Kylian Mbappe break the all-time World Cup scoring record. The result marked the final appearance for both Mbappe and France manager Didier Deschamps in the competition. England established a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two strikes from Bukayo Saka.
Mbappe, 27, began France’s second-half comeback in the 48th minute, scoring his 21st career World Cup goal to tie Lionel Messi’s previous record. Six minutes later, Bradley Barcola added a second for France, bringing the score to 4-1. Mbappe restored parity in the 66th minute with his 22nd tournament goal, surpassing Messi to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer and extending his own tournament tally to 10 goals.
France continued to press, with Ousmane Dembele scoring his sixth World Cup goal to make it 4-3. However, England responded through Saka, who completed his hat-trick with a penalty to restore a two-goal advantage. The match concluded with Jude Bellingham scoring in the 90+8th minute, securing England’s sixth goal and establishing him as England’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup with seven goals.
The victory capped a tournament for England that saw them overcome a significant early deficit. For France, the result followed a semi-final defeat to Spain earlier in the week, where they had lost 2-0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 6-4 scoreline reflected a match where France’s attacking output was ultimately insufficient to overcome England’s clinical finishing.
Mbappe’s performance keeps him in contention for the Golden Boot award, which he has traded with Messi throughout the tournament. The 39-year-old Messi is set to play in the final against Spain on Sunday, where he will have a final opportunity to challenge Mbappe for the top scorer title. The bronze-medal match served as a definitive end to Mbappe’s World Cup career, cementing his statistical legacy despite the team’s loss.
