England Beat France 6-4 in Wild World Cup Third-Place Playoff

What Happened?

In Miami Gardens, Florida, something crazy happened in a soccer (football) game. England played France to decide who got third place in the World Cup. England won 6-4 after a super dramatic second half.

Bukayo Saka scored three goals (that’s called a hat trick!) and helped England get their best World Cup finish since 1966.

Important Point: This was a "third-place playoff" — a match to see who finishes 3rd and 4th after both teams lost in the semifinals.

First Half: England Ran Away With It

By the time the first half ended, England was winning 4-0. France looked very messy.
Goals came from:

• Declan Rice
• Ezri Konsa
• Two from Bukayo Saka

Big Changes at Halftime

Both teams changed seven players because they were tired from losing their semifinals.

France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, is leaving after 14 years. In his last game, he put in four new players at halftime (including Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola) to try to wake his team up.

France’s Crazy Comeback

Just 3 minutes after the break:

1. Michael Olise passed to Kylian Mbappé.
2. Mbappé scored with his left foot.

Six minutes later:

1. Mbappé helped Barcola score.
2. Mbappé scored again (his 10th goal of the tournament).

Mbappé now has 22 World Cup goals total — more than Lionel Messi — making him the men’s all-time top World Cup scorer. He is also ahead in the race for the Golden Boot (top scorer award).

Olise then missed a big chance to tie the game, kicking it wide from close range.

England Fought Back

• Djed Spence was fouled in the box.
• Saka scored a penalty in the 87th minute — his 3rd goal!
• He became only the 4th English man to score a World Cup hat trick.

France answered with a Dembélé goal, but Jude Bellingham scored at the end to seal the win.

• Bellingham’s goal made him the first Englishman to score 7 goals in one World Cup.

Fun Facts and Records

• The game had 10 total goals — most in a World Cup match since 1982 (Hungary 10–1 El Salvador).
• England’s manager Thomas Tuchel was booed at the start but smiled at the end.
• Tuchel said: “It is the first medal in 60 years… best World Cup on foreign soil.”
• He also praised the team’s toughness after a rough semifinal loss.

Important Point: England’s bronze medal is their first in 60 years and their best finish abroad ever.

Summary

England beat France 6–4 in a wild third-place match. Saka’s hat trick and Bellingham’s late goal helped England survive France’s comeback led by Mbappé’s record-breaking goals. It was a wild, high-scoring game full of history and emotions.

FAQ

Q: What is a hat trick?
A: When one player scores three goals in a single game.

Q: Why was this game called a third-place playoff?
A: Because both teams lost in the semifinals, so they played to decide 3rd and 4th place.

Q: Who is the all-time men’s World Cup goal scorer now?
A: Kylian Mbappé, with 22 goals, passing Lionel Messi.

Q: How good was England’s finish?
A: It’s their best World Cup result since 1966 and first medal in 60 years.