England secured the World Cup bronze medal after a thrilling 6–4 victory over France in a dramatic encounter at Miami Stadium.
The Three Lions made a stunning start, with Declan Rice opening the scoring in the third minute before Ezri Konsa extended the advantage in the 18th minute. Bukayo Saka then added two more goals before the break, giving England a commanding 4–0 lead.
France responded strongly in the second half during Didier Deschamps’ final match as head coach. Kylian Mbappe inspired the comeback with two goals, while Michael Olise provided key assists, including one for Bradley Barcola, as France reduced the gap to just 4–3 by the 66th minute.
Mbappe’s second goal created history as it took his World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him past Lionel Messi to become the tournament’s highest-ever goalscorer. His 10th goal of the 2026 tournament also placed him at the top of the Golden Boot standings, while Olise’s seventh assist broke Pele’s previous record for the most assists in a single World Cup edition.
The match remained intense until the final moments. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, but Ousmane Dembélé quickly responded with another goal during stoppage time.
Jude Bellingham eventually sealed England’s victory in the 98th minute, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament and setting a new record for the most goals by an English player in a single World Cup campaign.
The result marked England’s strongest World Cup finish since their 1966 triumph, while France ended their campaign by saying goodbye to Deschamps after his 14-year tenure.
