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England produced a breathtaking attacking display to defeat France 6-4 in a record-breaking FIFA World Cup third-place match on Saturday, sealing their best finish at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 1966.
What was expected to be a low-key contest turned into one of the most entertaining matches in World Cup history as Thomas Tuchel’s side raced into a four-goal first-half lead before surviving a spirited French comeback in a pulsating encounter at Miami Stadium.
Bukayo Saka stole the headlines with a superb hat-trick, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jude Bellingham also found the net in a contest that produced 10 goals before a crowd of 64,478.
England made a dream start when captain Declan Rice intercepted a loose pass before driving forward to fire home from outside the penalty area after just three minutes. Rice then turned provider 15 minutes later, delivering a corner that Konsa headed in to double England’s advantage.
France struggled to contain England’s relentless attacking movement, and Saka extended the lead in the 37th minute after Marcus Rashford led a swift counterattack. The Arsenal winger completed his first-half brace in stoppage time, finishing clinically from an Eberechi Eze through ball to send England into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Didier Deschamps’ side emerged transformed after half-time and mounted a remarkable comeback led by Kylian Mbappe. The France captain reduced the deficit three minutes after the restart before Bradley Barcola made it 4-2 in the 54th minute. Mbappe struck again midway through the second half, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals and becoming the men’s World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s record.
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France continued to press for an equaliser, but England regained control when Saka converted an 87th-minute penalty after Djed Spence was brought down inside the area, completing his hat-trick and becoming only the second England player after Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score three goals in a World Cup knockout match.
Ousmane Dembele briefly reignited French hopes with a stoppage-time goal, but Bellingham capped a magnificent individual tournament by weaving through the French defence before calmly slotting home England’s sixth goal with virtually the final kick of the match.
The victory secured England’s highest World Cup finish in 60 years and their best-ever result at a World Cup staged outside home soil. It also marked the highest-scoring third-place match in the tournament’s history, surpassing the previous record set in 1958.
Bellingham ended the competition with seven goals, the most ever scored by an England player in a single World Cup, while Saka’s outstanding performance earned him the player-of-the-match award.
For France, the defeat brought an end to Didier Deschamps’ tenure as national team coach after his 187th match in charge. Despite an impressive second-half response, Les Bleus suffered the first occasion they had conceded six goals in a World Cup match and their heaviest defensive collapse in 66 years.
