MIAMI: England defeated France 6–4 in a thrilling third-place playoff at the FIFA World Cup, securing the bronze medal in one of the highest-scoring matches in the tournament’s history.
England entered the match with seven changes to the starting lineup, including captain Harry Kane.
The English side made a flying start, taking the lead in just the third minute when Declan Rice found the back of the net. The early goal put France under immediate pressure.
France attempted to respond with several attacks, but England’s goalkeeper produced a series of crucial saves to deny the French forwards.
Unlike their semi-final performance, England maintained an aggressive approach after taking the lead instead of sitting back. Their attacking strategy paid off as they added three more goals before halftime. Marc Guéhi scored in the 18th minute, while Bukayo Saka struck in the 37th minute and again during first-half stoppage time to give England a commanding 4–0 advantage.
France returned strongly after the break. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring for Les Bleus before Bradley Barcola added another. Mbappé then netted his second goal of the match to reduce the deficit further.
England restored their cushion when Saka converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick and make it 5–3. Ousmane Dembélé scored France’s fourth goal to keep the contest alive.
However, Jude Bellingham sealed England’s victory with a goal in the closing moments, ensuring a 6–4 win.
The match also set a new FIFA World Cup record for the highest number of goals scored in a third-place playoff, with a total of 10 goals.
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