England secured third place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France on Saturday (July 18) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The match was a tale of two halves, with England taking a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime, only for France to stage a fierce comeback in the second half.

Declan Rice opened the scoring for England less than three minutes into the game with a long-range goal. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead 15 minutes later, heading in a corner from Rice. Bukayo Saka added two more goals before halftime, giving England a comfortable lead.

France, however, was not ready to concede. After a quadruple substitution by coach Didier Deschamps, including the addition of Kylian Mbappe, France began their comeback. Mbappe scored twice, first in the 48th minute and again in the 66th, breaking Lionel Messi's record for most career World Cup goals. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also found the net for France, narrowing the gap to 5-4.

Saka completed his hat-trick with a penalty in the 87th minute, restoring England's two-goal advantage. In stoppage time, substitute Jude Bellingham sealed the win with a goal, ensuring England's best World Cup finish since 1966.

The match marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France's head coach. Despite the loss, Deschamps praised his team's fighting spirit in the second half.

With the third-place match concluded, attention now turns to the World Cup final on Sunday (July 19) between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The final promises to be a spectacular event, featuring a star-studded closing ceremony with performances by Madonna, BTS, Shakira, and Justin Bieber.