England secured the 2026 FIFA World Cup bronze medal after beating France 6-4 in a remarkable third-place playoff.
The thrilling contest at Miami Stadium produced ten goals, dramatic momentum swings and one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches.
In a match of two halves where defending was a second thought, Kylian Mbappe scored twice to become the all-time World Cup top scorer as France battled back from 4-0 down at halftime to come within a handful of missed chances of equalising.
England made a sensational start when Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute.
Ezri Konsa doubled England’s advantage in the 18th minute with a powerful header from a corner.
Bukayo Saka then struck in the 37th minute, giving England a commanding 3-0 lead.
Saka completed his first-half brace in first-half stoppage time, scoring in the 45th minute to make it 4-0.
France, hoping to send 2018 World Cup-winning coach Didier Deschamps home with a victory in his final match in charge, exploded into life in the second half with with Kylian Mbappé pulling one goal back in the 48th minute.
Bradley Barcola then reduced the deficit further in the 54th minute, leaving France within two goals.
Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute, completing France’s remarkable comeback and making the score 4-3 with the double taking his tournament tally to 10 goals.
That sent him two goals ahead of Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and saw him pass the Argentine as the all-time World Cup leading scorer with 22.
“In the first half, I can understand those who say we were taking the piss, that we didn’t respect the shirt,” said Mbappe.
“I would say instead that we were human. Unfortunately, we were completely stunned. They gave us a proper wake-up call.
“In the second half, we became top-level players again, mental machines who no longer have feelings.”
England restored their two-goal advantage when Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
There was still time for a strike from Ousmane Dembele to offer France hope, but substitute Jude Bellingham snuffed it out deep in stoppage time with his seventh goal at the tournament – the most by an England player at a single World Cup.
“We had a brilliant first half and then a turbulent second half,” said England manager Thomas Tuchel.
“We are so, so tired and drained from the last weeks … I have said it before, this team has created something very special, and they showed it again.”
The final whistle confirmed England’s extraordinary 6-4 victory and secured their best World Cup finish since winning the competition in 1966.
The total of 10 goals was the highest for a third-place playoff match, bettering France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany at the 1958 tournament.
The result was particularly significant after England had lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals.
France had also suffered semi-final disappointment, losing 2-0 to Spain before facing England in the bronze final.
England’s explosive attacking display was led by Saka, whose hat-trick proved decisive in the extraordinary encounter.
Rice also made a major contribution, scoring early before assisting Konsa’s 18th-minute goal.
France’s response was spearheaded by Mbappé, who scored twice and helped inspire a remarkable second-half fightback.
However, England survived the pressure and produced two late goals to finally settle the contest.
The victory gave England a podium finish and offered a memorable conclusion to their campaign in North America.
For France, the defeat ended a disappointing tournament on a dramatic night that also marked the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure.
The 6-4 scoreline ensured the bronze final would be remembered as one of the highest-scoring matches in World Cup history.
England ultimately prevailed in a contest that repeatedly appeared settled before producing another extraordinary twist.
