England Defeats France 6-4 to Secure Third Place in 2026 FIFA World Cup

England secured third place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a high-scoring 6-4 victory over France at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The match featured a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka and a record-breaking performance by Kylian Mbappé.

Key points

• Bukayo Saka scored three goals for England, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Jude Bellingham added the remaining scores.
• Kylian Mbappé scored two goals for France, becoming the tournament's leading scorer with 10 goals and the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22.
• England led 4-0 at halftime before France mounted a second-half comeback that narrowed the gap to 4-3 and 5-4.
• The match set a record for the highest-scoring third-place playoff in World Cup history.

Why it matters

The match was a significant conclusion to the 2026 tournament, setting a new record for goals in a third-place playoff and marking a historic milestone for Kylian Mbappé as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.