England Beat France in Record Goal-Fest to Finish Third at the World Cup

Sports Desk: England had continued to face criticism for their defensive approach late in the semifinal against Argentina. France, on the other hand, had been one of the tournament’s most attacking teams but were completely stifled by Spain’s possession-based football. As a result, both sides entered the third-place playoff carrying disappointment and frustration. Yet the match turned into a historic spectacle, producing a record 10 goals—the highest ever in a FIFA World Cup third-place playoff—as England defeated France to secure third place.

England put France on the back foot with a stunning first-half performance, racing to a 4-0 lead before the break. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, before Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute from Rice’s assist. Bukayo Saka then struck twice, finding the net in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time (45+1), with assists from Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze respectively. It marked the first time since April 1930 that France had trailed by four goals at halftime in a match.

In Didier Deschamps’ farewell game, France showed signs of a remarkable comeback after the restart. Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the 48th and 66th minutes, both assisted by Michael Olise. Bradley Barcola also got on the scoresheet in the 54th minute from Mbappé’s pass.

With his brace, Mbappé moved past Lionel Messi’s tally of 21 World Cup goals to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. The feat also placed him at the top of the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot.

Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute. He became only the second English player, after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match. He also became the first player since Pelé in 1958 to score a World Cup hat-trick against France.

France pulled one back in the sixth minute of stoppage time through Ousmane Dembélé, who finished from Dayot Upamecano’s assist. However, Jude Bellingham sealed England’s 6-4 victory with a goal in the 98th minute.

Bellingham’s strike was his seventh of the tournament, setting a new record for the most goals scored by an England player in a single World Cup. The 6-4 thriller also became the highest-scoring third-place playoff in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in 1958.

Meanwhile, Michael Olise set a new World Cup record for the most assists in a single tournament with seven, breaking Pelé’s long-standing mark of six, set in 1970.

Despite those individual achievements, it was a day to forget for France. They had never before conceded six goals in a World Cup match, and it was the first time in 66 years that they had allowed six goals in any competitive fixture.