England beat France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place playoff on Sunday (Saturday local time) in Miami to finish the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the bronze medal, while France settled for fourth place.
The Three Lions started brightly, taking the lead just two minutes into the match when Declan Rice intercepted a misplaced pass from Desire Doue, dribbled forward and caught Mike Maignan off guard before slotting home.
England continued to dominate, and although Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out for offside in the 10th minute, they doubled their lead eight minutes later when Ezri Konsa headed home from a Declan Rice corner.
In the 36th minute, Saka finally got on the scoresheet after France committed too many players forward and were punished on the counter-attack. He grabbed his second goal in the 45th minute, capping a disastrous first half for the two-time world champions as England stormed into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
In an attempt to rescue the game, France coach Didier Deschamps made four changes at the start of the second half, bringing on Lucas Digne for Theo Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano for Ibrahima Konate, Ousmane Dembele for Ryan Cherki and Bradley Barcola for Desire Doue. England boss Thomas Tuchel also introduced Ollie Watkins for Marcus Rashford, giving the striker his first appearance at the World Cup.
England players, Jude Bellingham, (L), Bukayo Saka (C) and Reese James, celebrate during the match against France on July 18, 2026. PHOTO/FIFA
Kylian Mbappe sparked France's comeback in the 47th minute after a sublime assist from Michael Olise to make it 4-1. It was his ninth goal of the tournament, a feat not achieved since Gerd Müller scored nine goals at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Substitute Bradley Barcola dribbled past England's defence after another misplaced pass in midfield to score France's second four minutes later, reducing the deficit to 4-2. Les Bleus continued to pile on the pressure, and Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to make it 4-3 heading into the final hydration break.
In the 78th minute, Elliot Anderson replaced Eberechi Eze, while Ivan Toney came on for Jude Bellingham. The match was briefly halted in the 80th minute after Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela required treatment for a calf problem.
The heat also took its toll on defender Jarell Quansah, who was forced off in the 83rd minute with muscle cramps and was replaced by Reece James.
With five minutes remaining, Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence inside the penalty area, and Valenzuela pointed to the spot. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty to restore England's two-goal cushion.
The match was far from over, however, as Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele curled home a trademark finish deep into stoppage time to make it 5-4. But Jude Bellingham produced a brilliant solo effort with virtually the last kick of the tournament to seal England's 6-4 victory, scoring his seventh goal of the competition and ensuring the Three Lions ended their World Cup campaign with the bronze medal.