MIAMI (Realist English). England defeated France in a thrilling 6‑4 match to claim third place at the 2026 World Cup.
The encounter at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, watched by 64,478 spectators, was the highest‑scoring game of the tournament and one of the most spectacular in World Cup history.
For England, this bronze medal represents their best World Cup result since 1966, when they won the tournament on home soil. For France, the match marked the end of Didier Deschamps’ 14‑year reign as head coach.
First Half: English Domination
England started at full throttle. As early as the 3rd minute, captain Declan Rice opened the scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box. In the 18th minute, defender Ezri Konsa headed home from Rice’s corner — 2‑0.
By the end of the half, England had turned the match into a formality. Bukayo Saka scored twice: first in the 37th minute from a rebound, and then again in stoppage time. The teams went into the break at 4‑0 to England.
Second Half: French Revival
Deschamps made four substitutions at half‑time, bringing on Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Digne, and Dayot Upamecano. The impact was immediate.
In the 48th minute, Kylian Mbappé converted a pass from Michael Olise to reduce the deficit. In the 54th, Barcola pulled another goal back. In the 66th, Mbappé scored his second from another Olise assist — the score was now 4‑3. France were one goal away from a miracle.
But England held firm. In the 87th minute, Jed Spence won a penalty, and Saka calmly converted to complete his hat‑trick — the first for an English player at this tournament.
France, however, refused to give up: in the 90+6th, Dembélé scored a fifth. Yet the final word belonged to England — in the 90+8th, Jude Bellingham made it 6‑4.
Records and Statistics
The match will go down in history for a number of records:
- 10 goals — the highest‑scoring match of World Cup 2026 and the fifth‑highest in World Cup history. Only four matches have seen more (12 goals).
- Bukayo Sako became the fourth player in England’s history to score a World Cup hat‑trick.
- Kylian Mbappé scored twice, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals, overtaking Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. His 22nd career World Cup goal made him the all‑time leading scorer in World Cup history.
- Michael Olise provided two assists, setting a record for assists in a single tournament with 7, breaking Pelé’s previous mark.
- England won their first‑ever World Cup bronze medal. Previously, they had lost the third‑place play‑off twice (in 1990 and 2018).
England end the tournament on a high note, securing their first medal on foreign soil. For Thomas Tuchel, who faced criticism for his tactics in the semi‑final, the bronze offers vindication.
France leave without a medal but with Mbappé’s records and a departing Deschamps, who over 14 years led the team to the 2018 title and the 2022 final.
On Sunday, July 19, the final between Spain and Argentina will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the world champion will be crowned.
