England claimed third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging France 6-4 in a spectacular 10-goal thriller in Miami, Softfootball reports. Bukayo Saka stole the show with a hat-trick as Thomas Tuchel’s side secured England’s best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.
The Three Lions raced into a stunning 4-0 half-time lead through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and two goals from Saka, punishing a sluggish France display. However, Les Bleus mounted a fierce comeback after the break as Kylian Mbappe struck twice to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, while Bradley Barcola also found the net.
With France threatening an unlikely comeback, Djed Spence won a late penalty that Saka converted to complete his hat-trick. Ousmane Dembele’s stoppage-time goal briefly reignited French hopes before substitute Jude Bellingham scored England’s sixth to cap a memorable victory and register his seventh goal of the tournament.
Spain and Argentina will now meet in World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, with football’s biggest prize and a place in history on the line.
Player Ratings
England
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Dean Henderson | 6.2 |
| Jarell Quansah | 5.8 |
| Ezri Konsa | 7.7 |
| Marc Guéhi | 7.2 |
| Djed Spence | 7.2 |
| Declan Rice | 8.4 |
| Bukayo Saka | 9.8 |
| Eberechi Eze | 8.0 |
| Morgan Rogers | 7.3 |
| Marcus Rashford | 7.9 |
| Ivan Toney | 6.7 |
| Ollie Watkins (Sub) | 6.4 |
| Elliot Anderson (Sub) | 6.1 |
| Jude Bellingham (Sub) | 6.5 |
| Reece James (Sub) | 6.0 |
France
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Mike Maignan | 5.0 |
| Malo Gusto | 5.3 |
| Ibrahima Konaté | 4.5 |
| Maxence Lacroix | 6.5 |
| Theo Hernández | 5.2 |
| Warren Zaïre-Emery | 5.5 |
| Adrien Rabiot | 5.7 |
| Michael Olise | 8.7 |
| Rayan Cherki | 6.5 |
| Désiré Doué | 5.6 |
| Kylian Mbappé | 9.1 |
| Lucas Digne (Sub) | 6.6 |
| Dayot Upamecano (Sub) | 7.1 |
| Ousmane Dembélé (Sub) | 8.0 |
| Bradley Barcola (Sub) | 7.5 |
Match Statistics
| Stat | France | England |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Possession | 46% | 54% |
| Attempts | 19 | 19 |
| On Target | 9 | 11 |
| Corners | 3 | 4 |
| Offsides | 3 | 3 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Passes | 405 | 467 |
