MIAMI (MNN); England secured third place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating France 6-4 in a breathtaking bronze-medal playoff at Miami Stadium, producing one of the most entertaining matches in World Cup history.
The high-scoring encounter saw England storm into a commanding 4-0 lead before France mounted a remarkable comeback to narrow the deficit to 4-3. Both sides continued to exchange goals in a dramatic second half before England finally sealed victory to finish the tournament on the podium.
England dominated the opening 45 minutes with attacking football, taking a four-goal advantage into halftime through strikes from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a brilliant first-half brace by Bukayo Saka.
France refused to surrender after the break as captain Kylian Mbappe inspired an impressive revival. Mbappe scored twice while Bradley Barcola also found the net, reducing England’s lead to just one goal and setting up a thrilling finale.
Saka completed his memorable hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore England’s two-goal cushion before Ousmane Dembele responded for France, making it 5-4.
Substitute Jude Bellingham then produced a superb solo effort late in the match to score England’s sixth goal and secure a dramatic victory.
The win earned England the bronze medal after narrowly missing out on a place in the final following a 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina. France had also fallen short after losing 2-0 to Spain in the other semifinal.
The FIFA World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain is scheduled to take place at New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
Bukayo Saka was the standout performer of the match, scoring his first World Cup hat-trick and playing a decisive role in England’s victory. His clinical finishing and attacking movement earned widespread praise as England concluded the tournament on a high note.
Jude Bellingham also achieved a major personal milestone, finishing the tournament with seven goals to become England’s highest scorer in a single FIFA World Cup campaign.
Despite France’s defeat, Kylian Mbappe further strengthened his claim for the Golden Boot by taking his tournament tally to 10 goals. His two-goal performance also lifted his overall World Cup career tally to 22 goals, making him the competition’s all-time leading scorer according to tournament statistics.
The thrilling contest featured ten goals, repeated momentum swings and outstanding individual performances from both teams, with football analysts describing it as one of the greatest third-place playoff matches in World Cup history.
Although the bronze medal match did not decide the world champions, it provided fans with an unforgettable spectacle and a fitting conclusion to England and France’s World Cup campaigns before attention shifts to the highly anticipated final between Argentina and Spain.
