England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966, defeating France 6-4 in a chaotic third-place playoff in Miami on Saturday. Despite the defeat, France’s Kylian Mbappe made history by scoring twice to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals, also securing the 2026 tournament's Golden Boot with nine goals.
England dominated the sweltering first half. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute from a distance, followed by a header from Ezri Konsa. Bukayo Saka then struck twice before halftime on swift breaks to give England a commanding lead.
Calling the first-half display "catastrophic," outgoing France manager Didier Deschamps made crucial second-half substitutions, introducing Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola. The tactical shift immediately sparked a French revival, with Mbappe and Barcola finding the net to change the match's complexion. Mbappe then slotted his record-breaking second goal from a Michael Olise pass.
However England held their nerve. After Djed Spence was brought down in the penalty area, Saka converted from the spot to complete his hat-trick. While Dembele added a fourth for France, Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with a remarkable solo run for the match's 10th goal. The strike made Bellingham the first English player to score seven goals in a single World Cup.
Both teams entered the playoff aiming to recover from semi-final heartbreaks, having been eliminated by Argentina and Spain respectively. Three-time champions Argentina will face Spain in the final on Sunday in New Jersey.
