TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in one of the tournament's most extraordinary matches at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 18, delivering their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.
The 10-goal contest was the highest-scoring World Cup match since 1982, with England surviving a remarkable French comeback before Jude Bellingham's stoppage-time strike sealed the win.
England raced into a commanding 4-0 halftime lead through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a first-half brace from Bukayo Saka.
Rice opened the scoring with a long-range effort less than three minutes into the match before also providing the corner that Konsa headed home to double England's advantage. Saka then struck twice before the break as Thomas Tuchel's side overwhelmed France in the opening 45 minutes.
As reported by USA Today, France manager Didier Deschamps responded by making four substitutions at halftime in his final match after 14 years in charge of Les Bleus, introducing fresh attacking options including Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola.
The changes transformed the match almost immediately.
Kylian Mbappe pulled one back minutes into the second half before Barcola reduced the deficit further. Mbappe then scored again in the 66th minute to make it 4-3, completing France's stunning fightback while moving ahead in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.
His second goal also saw the France captain become the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Lionel Messi's career tally.
However, England regained control late in the match when Saka converted a penalty in the 87th minute to restore a two-goal cushion.
France refused to give up, with Dembele scoring in stoppage time to cut the deficit to 5-4 and set up a tense finish.
According to France 24, England finally sealed victory in the eighth minute of added time when substitute Jude Bellingham produced a brilliant solo run before finishing calmly into the bottom-right corner, ending France's hopes of completing an improbable comeback.
The result handed England the bronze medal after narrowly missing out on a place in the final, while France ended the tournament in fourth place.
For Deschamps, the defeat marked an emotional conclusion to his tenure as France coach. Despite Mbappe's two-goal performance and France's spirited second-half rally, Les Bleus were unable to overturn the damage inflicted during England's dominant first half.
The victory also highlighted England's attacking strength under Tuchel, with six different scoring contributions proving enough to withstand one of the most dramatic comebacks in World Cup history.
Read: France vs England World Cup Lineup: Mbappe Starts, Bellingham Benched
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