The thrilling encounter between England and France delivered a memorable spectacle as the Three Lions triumphed 6-4 in the World Cup third-place playoff. Thomas Tuchel had anticipated a strong response from his team, but the manner of England’s performance, particularly in the first half, took everyone by surprise as they netted four goals.
With Kylian Mbappé aiming for his second consecutive Golden Boot in Didier Deschamps’ final match as head coach of Les Bleus, England’s early lead, featuring goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Bukayo Saka, seemed precarious. Mbappé ignited France’s revival shortly after the break, scoring twice and assisting Bradley Barcola’s goal.
At 27, Mbappé became the first male player to score ten goals at a World Cup since Gerd Müller in 1970, putting pressure on Lionel Messi. Fortunately for England, Saka’s late penalty completed his hat-trick, alongside Jude Bellingham’s seventh tournament goal off the bench, securing a historic third-place finish for England. Although the pain of their semi-final defeat to Argentina lingers, they concluded their campaign on a victorious note.
The gloomy skies over Miami mirrored the atmosphere among both teams, who were attempting to shake off the disappointment of semi-final exits. In addition to his pursuit of Messi’s records, Mbappé was motivated to send Deschamps off with a win after 14 years leading the French team. Hours before the match, he expressed his gratitude to Deschamps on social media, stating, “Today is your last dance,”
Tuchel, who recently extended his contract, has expressed his desire to guide England through Euro 2028. However, after a tense pre-match press conference where he reiterated his decisions against Argentina were correct, the next two years will challenge his ability to regain the trust of England’s supporters.
Like Deschamps, Tuchel made seven changes to his lineup from the semi-final, with Rice surprisingly appointed captain in Kane’s absence, despite nursing an injury throughout the tournament. Arsenal fans will be concerned about Saka’s involvement, given William Saliba’s back injury situation.
The absence of Kobbie Mainoo, the Manchester United midfielder yet to feature in the tournament, raised eyebrows. The Football Association cited injury, while Jordan Henderson was among the substitutes despite previously suffering a broken arm while celebrating England’s victory over Mexico.
Initially, France appeared to be suffering from a hangover. An errant pass from Désiré Doué in the third minute was intercepted by Rice, whose strike left goalkeeper Mike Maignan helpless. Although Mbappé stumbled just before a clear chance, Saka had a goal disallowed for offside following a brilliant pass from Morgan Rogers. A timely block from Maxence Lacroix prevented Saka from scoring again before Konsa outjumped Adrien Rabiot to head in Rice’s corner, showcasing England’s determination.
Marcus Rashford made a mockery of Warren Zaïre-Emery with a nutmeg and unleashed a powerful shot that Maignan saved well. At the other end, Dean Henderson produced an outstanding stop to deny Mbappé, whose attempts to cut in from the left were thwarted. An ensuing move led to England’s third goal, where Saka finally found the net after a comical sequence of attempts between him and Rashford. Eberechi Eze assisted Saka’s second goal just before halftime, leaving French players visibly stunned, even as Mbappé tried to maintain his composure.
Deschamps reacted with four substitutions at the interval, including the introduction of Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola. France pulled one back within three minutes of the restart when Mbappé finished a through ball from Olise after Ollie Watkins lost possession. Barcola soon sprinted back from halfway with the ball, having made it 4-2. Mbappé scored again after a slick exchange with Olise, putting Tuchel’s side under pressure.
Olise missed a crucial chance that could have forced extra time by failing to hit the target while facing England’s defense. By then, Bellingham and Elliot Anderson had come off the bench. Saka, who had not played against Argentina, scored a penalty to make it 5-3 after Djed Spence was fouled, and Bellingham sealed the victory with a powerful strike after Dembélé had pulled another goal back.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- England
- France
- Bukayo Saka
- Kylian Mbappé
- match reports
