A fixture that began with little enthusiasm turned into one of the most unforgettable contests of the 2026 World Cup as England defeated France 6 to 4 to secure third place.
Bukayo Saka delivered the standout performance, becoming only the second Englishman to register three goals in a World Cup elimination match. Sir Geoff Hurst was the first, achieving the feat in the 1966 final. Saka also joined Pele as the only players to score three times against France at the tournament.
England produced a stunning opening period following their painful semi final defeat to Argentina. Declan Rice, wearing the captain’s armband while Harry Kane started on the bench, opened the scoring after intercepting a poor pass from Desire Doue. He then supplied the corner that Ezri Konsa headed beyond Mike Maignan.
Saka added two more before the interval. His first arrived after a rapid counterattack involving Marcus Rashford, while his second came from an Eberechi Eze pass. France entered the break four goals behind, something they had not experienced in any match since April 1930.
Didier Deschamps, managing France for the final time, inspired a remarkable response. Kylian Mbappe scored shortly after the restart before Bradley Barcola reduced the gap further. Mbappe then struck again to bring France within one goal.
His second finish was his tenth of the competition and his twenty second across World Cup tournaments. That total moved him above Lionel Messi as the leading scorer in the history of the event. He also became the first player since Gerd Muller in 1970 to reach ten goals at a single men’s World Cup.
France created several opportunities to complete the comeback, but England goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced vital saves. Saka eventually restored breathing space from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence.
Ousmane Dembele made it 5 to 4 deep into added time, only for Jude Bellingham to finish the contest with an outstanding solo effort in the 98th minute. Bellingham ended the tournament with seven goals, the highest total by an England player at one edition.
The result gave England their best World Cup finish since 1966 and their finest performance outside their home country. With ten goals, 38 attempts and 20 efforts on target, the bronze medal contest became the highest scoring third place fixture in World Cup history.
