England Beat France to Claim World Cup Third Place in Stunning Goal Fest
The contest itself entered World Cup folklore. The 10 goals made it the highest-scoring third-place play-off in FIFA World Cup history, eclipsing France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in 1958.
Early Lead
England denied France a daring second-half comeback to claim third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a pulsating 6-4 victory on Saturday, producing the highest-scoring bronze-medal match in the tournament’s history.
What appeared destined to become one of England’s most comfortable World Cup victories quickly turned into one of its most dramatic before Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick and Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time strike finally extinguished France’s remarkable fightback at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Thomas Tuchel’s side raced into an early lead when Declan Rice won possession inside the French half before driving forward and firing low into the corner after just three minutes.
The goal was England’s second-fastest in World Cup history, behind only Bryan Robson’s famous 28-second strike against France in 1982. England never allowed France to settle.
Daunting
Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 19th minute, rising highest to head home Rice’s corner, before Saka crowned a devastating first-half display with two goals either side of halftime.
Long before the final wistle, the 4-0 halftime scoreline represented a daunting challenge for Les Bleus. But Didier Deschamps responded with four substitutions at halftime, and the changes transformed the contest.
Kylian Mbappé pulled one back three minutes into the second half before setting up Bradley Barcola to reduce the deficit further.
When, again, Mbappé combined brilliantly with Michael Olise to score in the 66th minute, England’s seemingly unassailable four-goal lead had shrunk to 4-3, and France sensed history.
No team had ever avoided defeat after trailing by four goals at a FIFA World Cup, yet England suddenly looked vulnerable as wave after wave of French attacks poured forward.
The pressure finally eased three minutes from final time when Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Djed Spence was brought down inside the penalty area. Still, France refused to surrender.
Ousmane Dembélé struck deep into stoppage time to reduce the deficit once again before Jude Bellingham sprinted through half the field, on a counterattack, delivering the final fruitful strike of the match to seal England’s victory.
Bellingham’s goal carried its own piece of history. His seventh goal of the tournament set a new England record for the most goals scored by one player in a single FIFA World Cup, surpassing Harry Kane’s six goals in 2018, 2026 and Gary Lineker’s six in 1986.
Despite finishing on the losing side, Mbappé also rewrote the record books. His two goals lifted his overall World Cup tally to 22, moving him ahead of Lionel Messi as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, while his 10 goals at the 2026 tournament kept him firmly on course for the Golden Boot.
The contest itself also entered World Cup folklore. The 10 goals made it the highest-scoring third-place play-off in FIFA World Cup history, eclipsing France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in 1958.
Only Austria’s famous 7-5 victory over Switzerland in the 1954 quarter-finals has featured more goals in a men’s World Cup match.
England ultimately would leave North America with the bronze medal after one of the greatest attacking displays in their World Cup history, while France departed looking back at how close a comeback was complete.
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