England defeated France 6-4 in an action-packed World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe became the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer despite France’s defeat.
England Dominate Early Before France Fight Back
Both teams entered the match after disappointing semi-final exits at the 2026 World Cup. England lost to Argentina, while Spain eliminated France.
England manager Thomas Tuchel rested several key players, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Similarly, France coach Didier Deschamps made multiple changes in his final tournament match.
Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute with a long-range strike. Shortly afterwards, Ezri Konsa doubled England’s lead with a header.
Bukayo Saka then scored twice before halftime to give England a commanding 4-0 advantage. Consequently, France faced a difficult challenge after a poor first-half display.
Mbappe Breaks Record Despite France Defeat
Deschamps responded by making four substitutions at halftime. The changes immediately improved France’s performance and shifted momentum.
Kylian Mbappe scored to reduce the deficit before Bradley Barcola added another goal. Soon after, Mbappe struck again from Michael Olise’s pass.
His second goal took his World Cup tally to 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s record. Additionally, Mbappe moved clear at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart.
France pushed for an equaliser but missed several opportunities. Meanwhile, Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence.
Ousmane Dembele scored France’s fourth goal before Jude Bellingham added England’s sixth. Bellingham also became the first England player to score seven World Cup goals.
England secured third place, their best World Cup finish since winning the title in 1966.
