England Beat France 6–4 to Secure Third Place at 2026 World Cup
England clinched third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 6–4 victory over France in a high-scoring playoff match played on July 18 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The encounter, widely described as one of the most thrilling games of the tournament, saw Bukayo Saka score a hat-trick, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jude Bellingham also found the net for the Three Lions.
The match burst into life early, with England racing to a commanding 4–0 lead by halftime. France, however, mounted a strong second-half comeback led by Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice and set a new all-time World Cup scoring record. Despite the resurgence, England held firm, with Bellingham sealing the win late on to confirm a bronze-medal finish.
The result marks England’s best World Cup performance in decades and comes after their narrow 2–1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, while France had lost 2–0 to Spain in the other semi-final.
Historically, England have had the upper hand in head-to-head meetings with France, winning 17 of their previous encounters compared to France’s 10. However, recent meetings had often favoured the French, including their 2–1 win over England in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
This latest victory therefore stands out as a significant result for England, not only securing a podium finish but also breaking a recent trend of defeats against their European rivals in major tournaments.
