England secured its best World Cup result since 1966 with a chaotic 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off. The match unfolded at Miami Stadium as a remarkable 10-goal thriller, with the Three Lions surviving a fierce second-half fightback from the French side.
England established an overwhelming lead in the opening 45 minutes. Midfielder Declan Rice opened the scoring just three minutes into the match, pouncing on a loose pass before driving forward and firing past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Defender Ezri Konsa then doubled the lead in the 18th minute, heading home from a corner delivered by Rice.
Forward Bukayo Saka extended the advantage to 3-0 in the 37th minute after a goalmouth scramble. He then added his second just before the halftime whistle to give England a commanding 4-0 lead.
France emerged with renewed intensity after the break. Coach Didier Deschamps made four substitutions at halftime in an attempt to spark a response. Forward Kylian Mbappé ignited the comeback just three minutes into the second half, finishing a pass from Michael Olise.
Mbappé then turned provider, setting up Bradley Barcola to score in the 54th minute. He completed the rapid fightback with his second goal of the match, bringing France within one goal at 4-3. Mbappé’s brace took his tournament tally to 10 goals, securing the Golden Boot award and breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record.
England withstood the French pressure and regained a two-goal cushion. Substitute Djed Spence won a penalty in the 87th minute after being brought down by Malo Gusto. Saka stepped up to convert the spot-kick, completing his hat-trick and making the score 5-3.
France continued to push forward, and forward Ousmane Dembélé scored a fourth goal in the dying moments to keep the pressure on. However, England had the final response as substitute Jude Bellingham scored a late solo effort to seal the 6-4 victory and ensure third place.
