England claimed third place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France at Miami Stadium. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, while Jude Bellingham netted the decisive late goal to end a dramatic French fightback. The contest will go down as one of the tournament's most memorable matches.
The Three Lions dominated the first half from the outset. Declan Rice opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike before Ezri Konsa doubled the lead after Saka had a goal ruled out for offside. Saka then struck twice in quick succession to send England into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.
France mounted a remarkable comeback after the restart. Kylian Mbappé pulled one back before setting up Bradley Barcola to make it 4-2, then added his second to leave England clinging to a one-goal lead. Michael Olise also came close to completing the recovery with a late chance.
England restored their cushion when Saka converted a penalty after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence. Ousmane Dembélé responded immediately to keep France alive, but Bellingham settled the contest with a brilliant solo goal deep into the closing stages. The win secured England's best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966 and brought an end to Didier Deschamps' reign as France coach.
