England secure third place in World Cup after 6-4 victory over France

By Bilal Ahmed

By Bilal Ahmed — 20 July 2026 — 3 min read

England triumph in third-place playoff

England secured third place in the World Cup 2026 after a high-scoring 6-4 victory against France. The match, described as chaotic, saw England achieve their best result at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966, and their highest finish on foreign soil. This third-place playoff was also the highest-scoring in World Cup history.

The game took place in Miami, under oppressive heat, with both teams having made multiple changes to their starting lineups. England manager Thomas Tuchel opted to rest key players such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, while France coach Didier Deschamps, in his final game after 14 years, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele.

England quickly established a lead, with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice scoring from distance in the third minute. Ezri Konsa then headed in to make it 2-0. The momentum continued for England as Bukayo Saka scored twice, making it 4-0 by first-half stoppage time. This marked the first time France had trailed by four goals at half-time in any match since April 1930.

Mbappe’s historic achievement

Despite England’s dominant first half, France mounted a strong comeback in the second period. Didier Deschamps made four substitutions at half-time, bringing on Dembele, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne, and Barcola. This tactical shift quickly paid off as Kylian Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament, moving ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings.

Barcola then added another goal for France, further reducing the deficit. Mbappe continued his impressive performance by scoring his second goal of the game, assisted by Michael Olise. This goal made Mbappe the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Messi. He also moved two goals clear in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot.

The game remained intense, with France missing several opportunities to equalize. However, England were awarded a penalty when Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence in the box. Saka converted the penalty, completing his hat-trick and extending England’s lead. Saka became only the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match, a feat previously achieved by Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final.

Dramatic finish and tournament reflections

The high-scoring affair continued into stoppage time. Dembele curled in a goal for France, bringing the score to 5-4. However, Jude Bellingham sealed England’s victory with an individual effort in the 98th minute, scoring the tenth goal of the match. Bellingham’s goal marked his seventh of the tournament, making him the first England player to score seven goals in a single World Cup edition.

This match was notable for France conceding six goals in a World Cup match for the first time, and the first time they had conceded six goals in any match in 66 years. Despite their higher aspirations for the tournament, both England and France had experienced painful semi-final exits; France were defeated 2-0 by Spain, while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina.

Didier Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and a runner-up finish four years ago, expressed his disappointment with his team’s first-half performance, calling it “catastrophic” to French television channel M6. The World Cup 2026 final will feature three-time champions Argentina against European champions Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Source: dawn.com