England secure third place with 6-4 victory over France in World Cup classic
A chaotic third-place playoff in Miami Gardens saw England overcome a spirited French comeback to claim bronze, marking the end of Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure and Kylian Mbappé’s World Cup career.
England have secured their highest finish at a FIFA World Cup since their 1966 triumph, defeating France 6-4 in the third-place playoff in Miami Gardens, Florida. The result confirms England’s best performance in the tournament’s history, capping a campaign that saw them dismantle a disorganised French side in the first half before withstanding a dramatic second-half resurgence.
The match began with England establishing a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime. Goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, alongside two strikes from Bukayo Saka, dismantled the French defence. Both teams had made seven squad changes following their respective semi-final exits, but England’s dominance in the opening period appeared insurmountable.
France manager Didier Deschamps, playing his final match in charge after 14 years at the helm, introduced four substitutes at the break in an attempt to shift the momentum. The changes yielded immediate results. Michael Olise found Kylian Mbappé in space just three minutes after the restart, and the French captain’s first-time left-foot finish beat England goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Mbappé continued to dictate play, providing the assist for Bradley Barcola’s goal six minutes later. He then scored again to reach his 10th goal of the tournament, surpassing Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading men’s World Cup goal scorer with 22 goals. Olise, who recorded seven assists in a single World Cup campaign to set a new record, missed a chance to close the gap further, side-footing wide from 12 yards out.
England steadied themselves in the final stages of the match. Djed Spence was fouled by Malo Gusto in the box, and Saka converted the 87th-minute penalty to complete his hat-trick, becoming only the fourth men’s player to achieve this feat for England at a World Cup. Although Ousmane Dembélé scored a late consolation for France, substitute Jude Bellingham drove into the box to score in the 90+8th minute.
Bellingham’s late strike secured the victory and made him the first Englishman to score seven goals in a single World Cup campaign. The 10-goal thriller was the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, concluding with England holding on for a memorable win.
