By Kwame Bediako
England beat France 6-4 in a wild third-place playoff to claim bronze and secure their best World Cup finish since 1966. The match produced records, a hat-trick, and a frantic second-half comeback that turned a “meaningless” game into one of the tournament’s most dramatic contests.
Thomas Tuchel’s England flew out of the blocks, taking the lead in the second minute through Declan Rice after he glided past the French defence and finished low into the corner. Rice then turned provider from a corner, helping Ezri Konsa head in the second goal and put England firmly in control.
France, missing William Saliba and exposed in transition, were punished again when Marcus Rashford set up Bukayo Saka for the third. Saka struck again before halftime after a superb through ball from Eberechi Eze, sending England into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
France responded after the restart by introducing Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, and the game quickly changed tempo. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the 48th and 66th minutes, with Barcola also getting on the scoresheet from an Mbappe assist, cutting the deficit and reviving French belief.
Mbappe’s brace carried historic weight, as he became the all-time World Cup top scorer with 22 goals, moving one ahead of Lionel Messi. He also moved to 10 goals at the tournament, joining a very small group of players to reach double figures in a single World Cup.
Michael Olise also made his mark, supplying two assists for Mbappe and setting a new World Cup tournament record for assists with seven, surpassing Pele’s long-standing mark. England’s attack, meanwhile, looked devastating on the counter and repeatedly punished the spaces France left behind.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled in the box. France refused to fold and made it 5-4 deep into stoppage time through Dembele, but Jude Bellingham then sealed England’s victory with a sixth goal on the break.
Bellingham’s late strike also gave him a national team record for the most goals by an English player in a single tournament. For England, the result delivered a historic bronze medal and their first podium finish since their home World Cup triumph in 1966.
The match closed a tournament in spectacular fashion and underlined how much attacking freedom both sides played with once the result became secondary. The final now shifts to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain and Argentina will meet for the title.
