England Clinches Third Place with Thrilling 6-4 Victory Over France
The stage is now set for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 Final between defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain today.
The story
The FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff delivered an unexpected goal-fest as England defeated France 6-4 in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday. England's Bukayo Saka was the star of the show, netting a hat-trick with goals in the 37th minute, first-half stoppage time, and an 87th-minute penalty.
Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa also scored for England, contributing to a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime. France, however, mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in the 48th and 66th minutes.
Despite Mbappé's efforts, which saw him surpass Lionel Messi's World Cup goal record, England held on to secure third place in a high-scoring encounter. The ten goals scored made it the highest-scoring World Cup game since 1982 and the most ever in a third-place match.
Yesterday's results
England vs France
Score: 6-4
Key: Bukayo Saka's hat-trick secured third place for England in a thrilling encounter.
Where it stands
With the third-place playoff concluded, England secured the bronze medal, marking their second-best finish in World Cup history. The tournament now heads into its grand finale.
Argentina, the defending champions, will face European champions Spain today in the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 Final. Both teams have navigated a challenging knockout bracket to reach this pinnacle, with Spain defeating France in their semi-final and Argentina overcoming England. The final at MetLife Stadium will crown the new world champions.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | Chelsea | £117 million |
What we'll be watching
- Argentina vs. Spain (FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, July 19, 2026, 3:00 PM ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.