Miami Gardens sees England defeat France 6-4 in World Cup third-place match

By Mason Reed — 19 July 2026 — 3 min read

England secured a 6-4 victory over France in the World Cup third-place match, a high-scoring contest that saw Bukayo Saka net three goals. The game, held in Miami Gardens, Florida, featured a total of 10 goals, making it the highest-scoring third-place match in the tournament’s history. This result marks England’s second-best finish in the World Cup, following their title win in 1966.

Saka scored in the 37th minute, in first-half stoppage time, and from a penalty in the 87th minute. Other goals for England came from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, contributing to a 4-0 lead by halftime. Jude Bellingham added England’s sixth goal in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, which was his seventh goal of the tournament, making him England’s highest scorer in a single World Cup.

France, despite the loss, saw Kylian Mbappé score twice in the second half, bringing his career World Cup goal tally to 22 and his tournament total to 10. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France. Mbappé’s performance in the match meant he surpassed Lionel Messi’s career World Cup goals record.

Tactical Decisions and Player Performances

England manager Thomas Tuchel made notable changes to the starting lineup, opting to rest key players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Tuchel explained this decision by citing player fatigue and the team’s demanding schedule, which included a day less for recovery and playing in altitude and overtime in Miami. He stated that the players had given their all physically in every match and that the plan was to have Kane and Bellingham available to finish the match.

Despite the initial lineup changes, the attacking efforts of Rice, Konsa, and Saka proved effective. Rice opened the scoring early in the match, followed by Konsa’s goal from a corner, and then Saka’s brace. Bellingham later came off the bench to score England’s final goal. Tuchel had previously described the third-place playoff as a match no one wants to play in, but also highlighted it as an opportunity for England to achieve their best result in 60 years against one of the world’s top teams.

Tuchel’s tactical decisions throughout the tournament, including a switch to a back-five in the semifinal against Argentina, had drawn criticism. However, for this match, he adopted a more offensive approach, with Rice as the sole defensive-minded midfielder behind Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers. The match saw France reduce England’s lead to a single goal at one point in the second half, before Saka’s penalty and Bellingham’s late goal sealed the victory.

Looking Ahead for Both Nations

For France, this match marked the final game for coach Didier Deschamps, who is stepping down after 14 years. Deschamps acknowledged his team’s disappointment following their semifinal loss to Spain, which prevented them from reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. He commented on the unexpected nature of the first half’s performance but noted an improvement in the second half.

The match was attended by a sellout crowd of 64,478 at Hard Rock Stadium, with supporters for both teams and many simply there to experience the atmosphere. Messi, with 21 career World Cup goals and eight in this tournament, was set to play in the final the following day against defending champion Argentina, who faced Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Mbappé, despite his personal scoring achievements, expressed a preference for playing in the final rather than being the top scorer in history. He noted that Messi scores all the time and would likely score in the final. The third-place match delivered an exciting encounter for those in attendance on July 18, 2026.

Source: apnews.com

Mason Reed

Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.