England beat France 6-4 in a stunning FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off in Miami on 18 July — the highest-scoring World Cup match since 1982, and the most goals ever scored in a third-place game.
Declan Rice opened the scoring inside three minutes, and Ezri Konsa doubled England’s lead soon after. Bukayo Saka then scored a hat-trick either side of half-time, netting in the 37th, 45+2nd, and 87th minutes.
Kylian Mbappé pulled two goals back for France to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, with Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola also on the scoresheet. Jude Bellingham sealed the 6-4 win for England with a goal deep into stoppage time.
How England and France Got Here
England topped Group L unbeaten, then beat DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway (after extra time) to reach the semi-final, where they lost 1-2 to Argentina on 15 July.
France won all three Group I games, then beat Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco to reach the semi-final, where they lost 0-2 to Spain on 14 July.
Sources
- ESPN — France 4-6 England, Third-Place Play-Off Final Score
- ESPN — France 4-6 England, Game Analysis
- Yahoo Sports — England Survives France Rally to Claim Third Place in 10-Goal Thriller
- The Times of Israel — Ten-Goal Thriller: England Beats France 6-4 to Win World Cup’s Third-Place Play-Off
- Olympics.com — Kylian Mbappé Breaks World Cup Goals Record as France Lose 6-4 to England
- The Washington Post — Saka’s Hat Trick Lifts England Past Mbappé and France 6-4
- FIFA Match Centre — France v England, Bronze Final
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