England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place playoff in Miami, securing their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Jude Bellingham also found the net for Thomas Tuchel's side.
First-half dominance
England started brightly, with Declan Rice opening the scoring in the third minute after picking up a loose ball and thumping a shot into the net from outside the penalty area. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead 15 minutes later, beating France's Adrien Rabiot in the air to score. England's goalkeeper Dean Henderson made a crucial save to deny Kylian Mbappé, with Marc Guéhi clearing the ball off the line. Bukayo Saka added a third goal late in the first half, then scored again on the stroke of half-time from the edge of the area, giving England a 4-0 lead.
France fights back
France came out strongly in the second half after receiving a pep talk from manager Didier Deschamps. Mbappé raced through and slotted home to reduce the deficit in the opening minutes. Bradley Barcola scored France's second goal shortly after. Mbappé then fired home after a classy move to make the score 4-3. France's Michael Olise had a good chance to level the score but failed to find the target.
Saka's hat-trick and Bellingham's clincher
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to give England a 5-3 lead. However, Ousmane Dembélé scored a tidy finish during stoppage time to cut the deficit to one goal. With nerves jangling, Jude Bellingham went on a mazy run and fired the ball past Dayot Upamecano and goalkeeper Mike Maignan to make it 6-4. The final whistle brought an end to the highest-scoring World Cup game since 1982.
Post-match scenes
England players posed on the podium during the medal ceremony. Captain Harry Kane collected his medal, and fans cheered as Anthony Gordon, Kane, and Jordan Pickford headed back to the dressing room. The match featured a hug between managers Tuchel and Deschamps, and a huddle involving France's Maxence Lacroix, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and England's Guéhi, Chalobah, Eberechi Eze, and Saka.
