England defeated France 6-4 in the third-place match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The game took place overnight.
By halftime, England had built a commanding 4-0 lead. Soon after the break, however, France quickly cut the deficit by scoring three goals in a row. Even so, Thomas Tuchel’s side later restored the gap and closed out the win.
Goalscorers
The standout performer was England midfielder Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick in the 37th, 45+1st, and 87th minutes, with the last coming from the penalty spot. England’s other goals were scored by Declan Rice in the 3rd minute, Ezri Konsa in the 18th, and substitute Jude Bellingham in the 90+8th.
For France, Kylian Mbappe scored twice, finding the net in the 48th and 66th minutes. Bradley Barcola added a goal in the 54th minute, and Ousmane Dembele scored in stoppage time at 90+6.
Mbappe’s record
Mbappe’s brace allowed him to move to the top of the list of the highest scorers in World Cup history. He now has 22 goals at World Cups, surpassing Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who has 21.
Messi, however, could regain the record later the same night. On July 19, 2026, the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain is scheduled to begin at 22:00 Moscow time.