England claim World Cup bronze after 10-goal France thriller
Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 in Miami to claim third place at the 2026 World Cup, while Kylian Mbappé made scoring history.
- England secured third place at the 2026 World Cup by defeating France 6-4.
- The 10-goal thriller saw England take a 4-0 lead before France mounted a comeback to make it 4-3.
- Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was the standout player for England, scoring a hat-trick in the victory.
- The result marks England's best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966.
England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 6-4 in a remarkable 10-goal contest in Miami, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick.
Thomas Tuchel’s side produced a commanding first-half display before surviving a spirited French comeback to record England’s best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966.
England needed only three minutes to take the lead, with captain Declan Rice opening the scoring with a superb finish.
Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute, heading home from a corner before Saka struck twice late in the half. The Arsenal forward scored his first in the 37th minute and added another in first-half stoppage time to send England into the interval with a 4-0 lead.
France responded immediately after the restart, with Kylian Mbappé pulling one back in the 48th minute and moving to the top of the tournament’s goalscoring chart.
Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit further six minutes later before Mbappé scored his second of the match in the 66th minute, bringing France back to 4-3.
The goal took the France captain’s career World Cup tally to 22, making him the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
England restored their two-goal cushion in the 87th minute when Saka converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick and make it 5-3.
Ousmane Dembélé gave France renewed hope with a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but substitute Jude Bellingham struck two minutes later to seal England’s dramatic 6-4 victory.
The result earned England a third-place finish at the World Cup, while France ended the tournament in fourth place. The defeat also brought Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure as France manager to a close.
