England survived a breathtaking second-half fightback from France to win a pulsating 6-4 thriller and secure third place at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick and Kylian Mbappe becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer in an unforgettable contest at Hard Rock Stadium here.
In what will rank among the greatest matches in World Cup history, England squandered a commanding 4-0 halftime lead before holding off a resurgent France in a 10-goal spectacle that showcased relentless attacking football from both sides.
Thomas Tuchel’s men made a dream start as Declan Rice curled home from distance in the third minute before turning provider for Ezri Konsa, whose towering header from a corner doubled the lead in the 18th minute.
France never recovered from England’s blistering opening half. Marcus Rashford’s selfless pass allowed Saka to tap in the third goal in the 37th minute before the Arsenal winger produced a brilliant strike from the edge of the area in first-half stoppage time to leave Les Bleus staring at humiliation.
But Didier Deschamps’ side emerged transformed after the break.
Mbappe ignited the comeback in the 48th minute before setting up Bradley Barcola six minutes later to cut the deficit to 4-2. The France captain struck again in the 66th minute after a sublime flick from Michael Olise, reducing the margin to a single goal and taking his tally to 22 World Cup goals – the most by any player in the competition’s history.
With England suddenly reeling and France threatening one of the greatest comebacks ever seen on football’s biggest stage, Tuchel’s side found a lifeline.
Malo Gusto brought down Djed Spence inside the penalty area in the 85th minute, and Saka calmly converted from the spot two minutes later to complete his hat-trick, becoming only the second England player after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final to score three goals in a World Cup knockout match.
The drama was far from over.
Ousmane Dembele struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time to make it 5-4, raising hopes of an extraordinary French escape, but Jude Bellingham extinguished them almost immediately. The Real Madrid star dribbled past three defenders before coolly slotting home England’s sixth in the 98th minute, capping one of the most extraordinary matches in World Cup history.
The victory ensured England ended their campaign on a high after semifinal disappointment, while France’s spirited comeback could not prevent Didier Deschamps from signing off his tenure as national coach with defeat.
The match also produced several landmark achievements, with Mbappe becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, Olise registering a tournament-best seven assists – the most by any player in a single edition since records began in 1966 – and Bellingham finishing with seven goals, the highest tally by an England player at one World Cup.
For England, however, the lasting memory will be a fearless attacking display that delivered third place after one of the most thrilling encounters ever witnessed on the World Cup stage.