Too little, too late? England vs. France saves the best for the 10-goal 3rd place in a classic way

If only they had played four days earlier.

England would not spend the final week repeating their collapse against Argentina, where a first-half lead disappeared after Thomas Tuchel’s side retreated into their shells and watched Lionel Messi orchestrate a 2-1 comeback. France, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals looking like the team to beat, only to be completely neutralized by Spain’s pressing and positional brilliance as Didier Deschamps’ side barely made a dent.

Instead of meeting again in Sunday’s final, they found themselves in Miami, playing soccer’s most unwanted game.

France vs. England FIFA World Cup 2026 3rd Place: MAIN

The third-place playoff is often seen as an obligation rather than an opportunity. No one remembers who finished third. The players would rather be preparing for the final or to fly home already. Yet England and France somehow turned the consolation prize into one of the most entertaining matches this World Cup has ever seen.

For 45 minutes, England looked determined to vent every ounce of frustration from their semi-final defeat.

Declan Rice put Ezri Konsa ahead on three minutes with a header from Rice’s corner. Bukayo Saka then took over, scoring twice before the break as England raced into a stunning 4-0 lead. France, who had looked so composed for most of this tournament, suddenly resembled a side completely without answers.

That should have been the end.

Instead, it became a 10-goal thriller.

France roared after the restart. Bradley Barcola gave them hope before Kylian Mbappe reminded everyone why he remains the ultimate winner of football when he scored twice to drag Les Bleus back into contention and rewrite the World Cup record books in the process. Ousmane Dembele added another as England briefly threatened to relive the nightmare of defeat to Argentina.

This time, however, there would be no collapse. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Jude Bellingham wrapped things up deep into the break to seal a messy 6-4 victory that gave England the bronze medals and their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.

THE SEMI-FINAL HANGOVER

Perhaps both managers wondered where this version of their teams was.

England paid dearly for sitting back against Argentina after taking the lead and inviting pressure until Messi and Lautaro Martinez punished them. There was no hesitation against France. They pushed high, attacked with purpose and looked dangerous every time they went forward.

France, on the other hand, did not look like a side that had come through the tournament before entering Spain. Deschamps’ men were seen by many as favorites after dismantling their opponents in the knockout stages, but were stunned again in the opening half hour before finally waking up after the break.

It was convincing entertainment, although both coaches would probably have preferred a much less exciting night if it meant reaching the final.

SAKA SEPTEMBER, MBAPPE HISTORY

Bukayo Saka stole the headlines for England.

The Arsenal winger became only the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat-trick, joining Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker and Harry Kane in an exclusive club. His movement constantly troubled France and his penalty in the closing stages finally extinguished any hopes of an unlikely comeback.

However, Mbappe left Miami with a record of his own.

His second-half brace took him to 22 career World Cup goals, moving him past Lionel Messi’s 21 goals to become the competition’s clear top scorer. The France captain also finished the tournament with 10 goals, enough to comfortably secure another Golden Boot.

It was a strange end for two giants who expected much more from this World Cup. Neither wanted to play in the playoffs for third place.

At full time, they accidentally managed to create the most disgusting spectacle of the tournament.

Football World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | football news

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

19 Jul 2026 05:20 IST