England beat France in 10-goal thriller to finish third at World Cup
England secured their best World Cup finish in 60 years after defeating bitter rivals France 6-4 in a truly staggering, historic ten-goal third-place playoff thriller in Miami.
A masterclass from Bukayo Saka, who walked away with the match ball after scoring a magnificent hat-trick, inspired the Three Lions to the bronze medal in the highest-scoring knockout match in modern World Cup history. Yet, the chaotic classic will also be remembered for the history written by Kylian Mbappé, whose second-half double saw him eclipse Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading goalscorer in tournament history with 22 goals.
Thomas Tuchel’s side flew out of the blocks, ruthlessly exposing a completely disorganized French defense to establish a commanding 4-0 lead before the interval. Declan Rice ignited the fireworks after just three minutes, driving forward to fire a low, thunderous effort past Mike Maignan. Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute by towering above Adrien Rabiot to head home, before Saka took center stage. The Arsenal winger swept home a rebound on the counter-attack in the 37th minute and added his second deep into first-half stoppage time, converting a perfectly weighted pass from Eberechi Eze. It was the first time Les Bleus had conceded four goals in a single half since 1968.
Faced with an embarrassing capitulation in what was manager Didier Deschamps’ 185th and final match in charge, France responded with a furious second-half fightback. Mbappé began the recovery in the 48th minute with a clinical finish past Dean Henderson. Momentum swung heavily when half-time substitute Bradley Barcola hammered home a second six minutes later. The stadium then witnessed history in the 66th minute when Mbappé combined beautifully with Michael Olise—who registered a tournament-record seventh assist—to sweep in his 10th goal of the competition, pulling one goal clear of Messi’s lifetime World Cup tally.
With the deficit cut to 4-3 and England rocking, the match descended into pure theater. Djed Spence won a crucial penalty for England after being brought down by Malo Gusto, allowing Saka to calmly slot home from the spot in the 87th minute to complete his treble and seemingly put the game to bed.
True to the ridiculous nature of the night, France refused to yield, and Ousmane Dembélé set up a grandstand finish by firing home in the sixth minute of stoppage time. However, as the French pushed everyone forward for an equalizer, Jude Bellingham provided the final, spectacular definitive blow. The midfielder embarked on a sensational solo run from the halfway line, weaving past Maxence Lacroix before slamming a finish into the bottom corner to end the madness.
The result ensures England leave the United States with their heads held high, clinching third place and their best World Cup showing since they lifted the trophy in 1966. For France, a tournament that promised ultimate glory ends in a breathless defensive collapse, drawing the curtain on Deschamps’ legendary managerial tenure in the most unpredictable fashion imaginable.
