England Beat France 6-4 to Finish Third After 10-Goal Thriller
At first glance, the 6-4 scoreline suggests an unforgettable thriller—and it certainly delivered drama. England defeated France 6-4 to secure third place at the World Cup in a match that produced 10 goals, a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka, and another record-breaking performance from Kylian Mbappé.
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At first glance, the 6-4 scoreline suggests an unforgettable thriller—and it certainly delivered drama. England defeated France 6-4 to secure third place at the World Cup in a match that produced 10 goals, a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka, and another record-breaking performance from Kylian Mbappé.
Saka stole the spotlight with three goals, while Mbappé scored twice to overtake Lionel Messi as the highest scorer in World Cup history. The French forward now has 22 World Cup goals, surpassing Messi's tally of 21. Mbappé also strengthened his lead in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot with 10 goals, while Messi remains on eight.
England were in complete control during the first half, racing into a stunning 4-0 lead. The scoreline reflected not only England's sharpness but also France's lack of urgency. Before the match, France coach Didier Deschamps had admitted that neither his team nor England had particularly wanted to play the third-place playoff. While both sides made five to seven changes to their starting line-ups, England approached the contest with professionalism and intensity. France, on the other hand, looked short of motivation, playing at a leisurely pace with little desire or aggression.
England took full advantage. Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa scored once each, while Saka struck twice before halftime to put the Three Lions firmly in command.
The second half, however, told a different story. Deschamps introduced several first-team regulars, and France came out determined to restore some pride. Their response was immediate, with Mbappé scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another goal to reduce the deficit to 4-3. France could have drawn level had Ousmane Dembélé not fired straight at the goalkeeper, while Michael Olise also missed two promising chances.
In the 87th minute, Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to make it 5-3. Dembélé quickly pulled another goal back for France, narrowing the score to 5-4 and setting up a tense finish.
But in stoppage time, substitute Jude Bellingham produced the final blow, scoring England's sixth goal to seal a remarkable 6-4 victory and third place at the World Cup.
The match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' tenure as France head coach. With his departure, attention now turns to Zinedine Zidane, who is expected to begin a new era in charge of the French national team.