In a stunningly high-scoring World Cup third-place playoff, England defeated France 6-4 in Miami on July 18, 2026.The match, marked by relentless action and dramatic twists, saw England's young stars shine.Arsenal's Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by Ezri Konsa's header to make it 2-0.France's Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise posed threats but struggled against England's second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson.Bukayo Saka's hat-trick, including a late second goal, extended England's lead to 4-0.

France's Mbappe then scored his ninth goal of the tournament, surpassing Messi as the top scorer, and later netted his second to become the all-time World Cup goalscorer.Bellingham's seventh goal made him the first England player to reach seven World Cup goals.Despite France's late efforts, England's victory secured their best World Cup result since 1966.Both teams had suffered semi-final exits—France lost to Spain, while England collapsed against Argentina.The match highlighted the intensity of the 2026 tournament, with Spain and Argentina set for the final.