What had been expected to be a low-key third-place play-off turned into one of the most remarkable matches of the tournament, with England defeating France 6-4 to finish third at the 2026 World Cup. The victory gave the Three Lions their best men’s World Cup result since lifting the trophy in 1966 and their highest-ever finish at a World Cup held outside their home country.
Bukayo Saka was the standout performer, becoming only the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final. He also became only the third player to register a World Cup knockout hat-trick against France, following Pele in 1958.
The victory also produced several notable milestones. England defeated a nation ranked above them by FIFA at a World Cup for the first time since overcoming Argentina in 2002, while the encounter became the highest-scoring third-place match in tournament history, surpassing France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in 1958.
England races ahead before France launches a comeback
Thomas Tuchel’s side responded impressively after their semi-final defeat to Argentina, storming into a four-goal lead before half-time. Declan Rice opened the scoring after intercepting a misplaced pass and driving forward before finishing from outside the penalty area. Rice then supplied the corner that Ezri Konsa converted with a header to double the advantage.
England continued to exploit the open spaces left by France. Saka struck his first goal after following up an initial save from Mike Maignan, having been set up by Marcus Rashford, before adding another in first-half stoppage time by finishing Eberechi Eze’s through pass with a left-footed effort.
France finally responded after the interval. Kylian Mbappe pulled one back with a first-time finish before Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit further six minutes later. Mbappe then completed his brace with his 10th goal of the tournament, moving ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race and becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. He also became the first player to reach double figures at a men’s World Cup since Gerd Muller in 1970.
Late drama seals memorable England victory
France threatened to complete an unlikely comeback and created several opportunities to force extra time, but England regained control late on. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was brought down by Malo Gusto inside the area.
Ousmane Dembele curled home during stoppage time to narrow the gap once more, but England had the final say. Jude Bellingham surged forward from midfield, beat Maxence Lacroix, and calmly finished with the last kick of the match to complete the scoring.
The contest became the first World Cup match in which France conceded six goals, while it was also the first time they had allowed six goals in any fixture for 66 years. Bellingham ended the tournament with seven goals, the highest tally ever recorded by an England men’s player at a single World Cup.
Records tumble in unforgettable encounter
England’s attacking display raised further questions following their semi-final loss to Argentina, especially after Saka’s outstanding contribution following his return to the starting line-up. The winger also had an effort ruled out for offside and consistently troubled France throughout the match.
For France, the defeat marked Didier Deschamps’ final game in charge after a record 187 matches as head coach and a record-extending 27 World Cup fixtures. Although his side recovered strongly after the break and tested Dean Henderson repeatedly, they were unable to erase the damage done during a difficult opening half.
The match finished with 38 total shots, including 20 on target, making it England’s highest-scoring World Cup fixture. It also matched the fifth-highest goal total in World Cup history, equalling France’s 7-3 victory over Paraguay in 1958, and became the tournament’s highest-scoring game since Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 in 1982.
