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By Vikram Iyer — 19 July 2026 — 3 min read

England secures third place in high-scoring World Cup match against France

England emerged victorious in a thrilling World Cup third-place playoff, defeating France 6-4 in a match held at the Hard Rock Stadium. The game, which featured ten combined goals, marked the most goals in a World Cup match since 1982. This result secured England’s best World Cup finish since their win in 1966.

The match saw England establish an early lead, with Declan Rice scoring a long-range goal less than three minutes into the game. Ezri Konsa then headed home a corner from Rice approximately 15 minutes later, doubling England’s advantage. Bukayo Saka contributed two goals before halftime, giving England a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.

Despite the significant deficit, France mounted a strong comeback in the second half. Kylian Mbappé initiated their scoring a few minutes after the intermission, marking his ninth goal of the tournament and his 21st career World Cup goal, which equaled Lionel Messi’s record. Bradley Barcola scored ten minutes later, reducing England’s lead to 4-2. Mbappé scored again in the 66th minute, bringing France within one goal and making him the all-time leader in World Cup goals.

However, England reasserted their dominance. Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick by converting a penalty in the 87th minute, restoring England’s two-goal advantage. Ousmane Dembele responded in stoppage time, giving France renewed hope and making the score 5-4. The match’s final goal came from substitute Jude Bellingham in the 98th minute, sealing the 6-4 victory for England.

Mbappé’s historic milestone

While France ultimately lost the match, Kylian Mbappé achieved a significant personal milestone. His second goal of the game, scored in the 66th minute, was his 22nd career World Cup strike, officially surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous all-time record of 21 goals. This goal also brought his tournament tally to 10 goals, placing him two clear of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.

Mbappé’s performance throughout the tournament was notable, with his goals contributing to France’s efforts. His first goal in the third-place match, scored in the 48th minute, was a flick past England goalkeeper Dean Henderson. His second, a left-footed strike from 14 yards, also beat Henderson.

Michael Olise of France was credited with assists on both of Kylian Mbappé’s goals in this match. Olise now holds seven assists in this World Cup, breaking Pelé’s record for the most assists in a single tournament.

Team changes and match details

Both teams made substitutions during the match. Didier Deschamps, in his final game after 14 years in charge of France, made a quadruple substitution at the start of the second half, bringing on Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Digne, and Dayot Upamecano to replace Ibrahima Konate, Désiré Doué, Theo Hernandez, and Rayan Cherki. Thomas Tuchel, England’s manager, also made a substitution to start the second half, bringing on Ollie Watkins for Marcus Rashford. Later in the game, Tuchel introduced Jude Bellingham and Elliot Anderson in the 79th minute, replacing Eberechi Eze and Ivan Toney.

The starting lineup for England included Dean Henderson as goalkeeper; Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence, and Jarell Quansah in defense; Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, and Eberechi Eze in midfield; and Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Ivan Toney in the forward line. Declan Rice wore the captain’s armband for England, with Harry Kane starting on the bench.

For France, the starting eleven featured Mike Maignan as goalkeeper; Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, and Maxence Lacroix in defense; Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Rayan Cherki in midfield; and Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Désiré Doué as forwards. The match was officiated by referee Jesus Valenzuela, with Jorde Urrego and Tulio Morena as assistant referees, and Jalal Jayed as the fourth official.

The third-place match kicked off at 5 p.m. ET at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com