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England claims bronze at 2026 World Cup after 6‑4 win over France
On 18 June 2026, England defeated France 6‑4 in the third‑place play‑off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA. England took a 4‑0 lead in the first half through goals from Declan Rice (2'), Ezri Konsa (18'), and a Bukayo Saka hat‑trick (37', 45+1', 87' penalty). France rallied in the second half with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice (48', 66') and a goal from Bradley Barcola (54'), while Ousmane Dembélé added a late strike (90+6'). Jude Bellingham secured the win with England’s tenth goal in the 90+8 minute. The result gave England their first World Cup bronze and marked the final match for France coach Didier Deschamps after 14 years in charge. Kylian Mbappé’s two goals lifted him to 22 World Cup goals, overtaking Lionel Messi as the tournament’s all‑time leading scorer. The match also sparked criticism of England manager Thomas Tuchel for benching stars Harry Kane and Bellingham earlier in the game, a decision that angered English fans. In a separate incident, Argentine players displayed a “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” banner after their semi‑final win, prompting a response from the White House invoking U.S. free‑speech protections, while FIFA considered sanctions.
The high‑scoring encounter was hailed by international media as a spectacular finale to the tournament’s “small final,” with England’s Saka becoming only the fourth English player to record a World Cup hat‑trick.