England finish third after 10-goal World Cup win over France
England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966 by defeating France 6-4 in a record-breaking match that marks the end of Didier Deschamps' tenure.
England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place play-off in Miami to secure their best tournament finish since 1966. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, supported by goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and substitute Jude Bellingham. The 64,478 spectators at Hard Rock Stadium witnessed a match that produced 10 goals, a highly unusual statistic in modern international football.
England established a commanding 4-0 lead by half-time through an opener from Rice and a header from Konsa. Saka then scored twice before the interval, taking advantage of a French side that appeared disconnected. "Of course, there was a huge sense of unreality about it, with 10 goals in a game that looked dead at half-time," said reporter Rob Dorsett.
The dynamic shifted entirely after the break. France responded through two goals from Kylian Mbappe, who became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. Substitute Bradley Barcola added a third to reduce the deficit to 4-3, putting England under severe pressure just three days after their semi-final elimination by Argentina.
France pushed for an equaliser, but Michael Olise missed two clear chances. The momentum shifted when Malo Gusto conceded a penalty, allowing Saka to complete his hat-trick in the 87th minute. Substitute Ousmane Dembele scored in the 96th minute, but Bellingham immediately replied with the 10th goal to set a record for the most goals by an England player at a single World Cup, with seven.
The victory provides a measure of redemption for England manager Thomas Tuchel, who was booed by supporters before kick-off. Fans were frustrated by his decision to leave Saka on the bench during the semi-final loss. Saka became only the fourth Englishman ever to score a World Cup hat-trick.
For France, the high-scoring defeat marks the end of an era. It was Didier Deschamps' final game in charge of the national team. France are now expected to transition to Zinedine Zidane as they look ahead to hosting the 2028 European Championship, where they will face an England side aiming to build on this historic finish.
