England defeated France 6-4 to secure third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the highest-scoring third-place match in tournament history.
England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday with a 6-4 victory over France at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, United States, in a match that became the highest-scoring third-place playoff in FIFA World Cup history.
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England took control from the opening minutes, combining tactical organization with efficient finishing to build a commanding first-half lead against France.
Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by Ezri Konsa in the 18th. Bukayo Saka added two more goals in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time (45+1), giving England a 4-0 advantage before the interval.
France’s response falls short
France returned after halftime with a more direct attacking approach in an attempt to overturn the deficit.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, in the 48th and 66th minutes, while Bradley Barcola found the net in the 54th minute. Ousmane Dembélé added France’s fourth goal in stoppage time (90+6).
England preserved its collective shape and sealed the victory with two late goals. Saka completed his hat trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute before Jude Bellingham scored England’s sixth in the final moments of the match (90+8).
World Cup records
With 10 goals, the match became the highest-scoring third-place game in FIFA World Cup history.
Despite France’s defeat, Mbappé reached a personal milestone by scoring his 22nd career World Cup goal, becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer. He also finished as the leading scorer of the 2026 tournament with 10 goals.
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