England ended a 60-year wait for a FIFA World Cup podium finish in spectacular fashion on Saturday, defeating France 6-4 in one of the highest-scoring matches in the tournament’s history to secure third place.
The 10-goal thriller was the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary’s 10-1 demolition of El Salvador at Spain 1982 and the highest-scoring third-place playoff since France defeated West Germany 6-3 at the 1958 World Cup.
Bukayo Saka stole the show with a brilliant hat-trick, while Jude Bellingham capped another outstanding tournament by scoring his seventh goal to become England’s highest-scoring player in a single World Cup campaign.
The result also earned England their first World Cup podium finish since winning the 1966 tournament on home soil.
England blitzed France with four first-half goals, exposing a shaky French defence from the opening whistle. Declan Rice opened the scoring before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage. Saka then struck twice before halftime as England raced into a commanding lead.
France, however, refused to surrender.
Captain Kylian Mbappe pulled one back before Bradley Barcola added another after the break to revive French hopes. Mbappe struck again later in the contest, taking his tally to an astonishing 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup and strengthening his grip on the Golden Boot race.
The brace also saw the French captain move to 22 career World Cup goals, lifting him one clear of Argentina captain Lionel Messi on the competition’s all-time scoring list ahead of Sunday’s final against Spain.
France’s second-half revival came after coach Didier Deschamps reshuffled his struggling defence, introducing Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne in an attempt to steady a backline that had looked disorganised throughout the opening period.
England, however, always had another response.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to restore England’s cushion before Ousmane Dembele scored France’s fourth deep into stoppage time.
There was still time for Bellingham to have the final word, firing home England’s sixth goal to seal an unforgettable victory and write his name into the nation’s football history books with seven goals in a single World Cup.
France winger Michael Olise also etched his name into tournament folklore by registering his seventh assist of the competition, surpassing Pelé’s long-standing World Cup record of six assists set during Brazil’s triumphant 1970 campaign.
Despite the defeat, Mbappe’s remarkable tournament leaves him firmly in pole position for the Golden Boot, holding a two-goal advantage over Messi heading into Sunday’s World Cup final.
The match also marked the end of an era for France as Didier Deschamps took charge of Les Bleus for the final time. The 57-year-old bows out after 14 years at the helm and 185 matches, having guided France to World Cup glory in 2018, another final appearance in 2022, and another podium finish in 2026.
For England, the emphatic victory provided a fitting conclusion to an impressive campaign, with Thomas Tuchel’s side leaving the tournament with their best World Cup finish in six decades and a new generation led by Saka and Bellingham firmly established among the world’s elite.
