England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging France 6-4 in a breathtaking 10-goal thriller in Miami.
Thomas Tuchel’s side appeared to have the contest wrapped up before half-time, racing into a four-goal lead through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a Bukayo Saka brace.
France, however, mounted a remarkable second-half comeback led by captain Kylian Mbappe. The forward struck twice to become the outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, while Bradley Barcola added another as Les Bleus threatened to erase England’s commanding advantage.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore England’s cushion, but France refused to give in. Ousmane Dembélé scored late to reduce the deficit to a single goal once again, setting up a nervy finish.
With France pushing everyone forward in search of an equaliser, England struck the decisive blow deep into stoppage time. Jude Bellingham finished off a swift counter-attack to seal a dramatic 6-4 victory and ensure the Three Lions claimed the bronze medal.
The win gave England their best World Cup finish since 1990 and provided a positive end to an impressive tournament after their semi-final defeat to Argentina.
France, meanwhile, bowed out in entertaining fashion despite the defeat. Mbappe’s record-breaking performance was one of the few bright moments for Didier Deschamps’ side, whose spirited comeback ultimately fell just short.
Often viewed as a low-key fixture, the third-place play-off instead produced one of the matches of the tournament, with 10 goals, relentless attacking football and late drama before England finally celebrated at the final whistle.
