By Nadia Ntiamoah
England overcame a spirited second-half comeback from France to secure third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, surviving a dramatic scare to record a thrilling 6-4 victory in one of the highest-scoring matches in the tournament’s history.
After missing out on a place in the final, both European giants were eager to finish their campaigns on a high, but it was England who emerged victorious following a breathtaking contest that produced 10 goals, remarkable attacking football and several moments of individual brilliance.
The Three Lions made a blistering start and needed only three minutes to open the scoring.
Declan Rice won possession deep in midfield before driving forward and firing a powerful low shot beyond France goalkeeper Mike Maignan to hand England an early advantage.
Bukayo Saka thought he had doubled England’s lead minutes later, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. England, however, maintained relentless pressure and were rewarded in the 18th minute when defender Ezri Konsa powered home a header from Rice’s corner to make it 2-0.
France struggled to cope with England’s movement and pace despite occasional threats from Captain Kylian Mbappé, who forced an important save after breaking into the penalty area.
England tightened their grip on the match in the 37th minute when Marcus Rashford set up Saka, who calmly slotted past Maignan for the third goal before adding his second deep into first-half stoppage time after controlling a pass from Eberechi Eze and firing into the bottom corner to send the Three Lions into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.
France emerged after halftime with renewed determination and mounted a remarkable comeback led by Mbappé.
The Real Madrid forward pulled one back in the 48th minute after being released by Michael Olise before turning provider six minutes later for Bradley Barcola to reduce the deficit further.
France continued to pile on the pressure, and Mbappé grabbed his second goal of the night in the 66th minute after another fine assist from Olise, leaving England clinging to a one-goal advantage as momentum shifted dramatically.
With France threatening an unlikely equaliser, England were handed a crucial lifeline in the closing stages when referee Jesús Valenzuela awarded a penalty following a challenge by Malo Gusto inside the area.
Despite French protests, Bukayo Saka kept his composure from the spot in the 87th minute to complete his hat-trick and restore England’s two-goal cushion.
France refused to surrender, and Ousmane Dembélé struck in stoppage time to make it 5-4, setting up a nervy finish.
However, Jude Bellingham ensured there would be no dramatic collapse when he produced a composed finish moments later to score England’s sixth goal and finally put the contest beyond doubt.
The victory secured the bronze medal for Thomas Tuchel’s side and provided a fitting end to their World Cup campaign after falling short in the semi-finals.
For France, the defeat marked a disappointing conclusion despite an inspired second-half display that nearly produced one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history.
The thrilling encounter will be remembered as one of the standout matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with England leaving the tournament on a winning note after an unforgettable 10-goal spectacle.
