England secured third place at the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in a high-scoring third-place play-off on Saturday.
Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick while Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa struck early as England built a 4-0 lead. France mounted a spirited comeback with goals from Kylian Mbappe (twice), Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele, but Jude Bellingham sealed the win in stoppage time.
Mbappe’s brace saw him break Lionel Messi’s record as the all-time leading World Cup scorer. Michael Olise also set a new single-tournament assist record surpassing Pele’s 1970.
The match produced the most goals in a World Cup fixture since 1982. England claimed their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966. France will return home empty-handed after reaching the semi-finals.
