MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — England defeated France 6-4 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup bronze-medal match on Saturday, securing third place in the tournament after a high-scoring encounter at Miami Stadium.
Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick and helped England build a commanding early advantage, while Jude Bellingham added a late goal to seal the victory after France mounted a second-half comeback attempt.
England raced into a 4-0 lead before halftime, with goals from Saka, Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa contributing to a dominant opening period. France responded after the interval through Kylian Mbappé and other attacking contributions, but England held on to claim the bronze medal.
The result marked England’s best World Cup finish in six decades and their first medal at the tournament on foreign soil, according to reports following the match. England manager Thomas Tuchel had said before the game that his team wanted to respond positively after their semifinal defeat to Argentina and finish the tournament with a victory.
Mbappé’s goals added to a record-breaking tournament for the France captain, who surpassed Lionel Messi’s previous World Cup scoring mark and finished the competition as one of the leading scorers. France had entered the bronze-medal match seeking a podium finish after falling short in the semifinals, while the match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure as France coach after 14 years in charge.
Deschamps guided France to major international success during his time as manager, including the 2018 World Cup title and a run to the 2022 World Cup final. His departure had been announced before the tournament, bringing an end to one of the longest managerial eras in international football.
For England, the victory provided a positive conclusion to a campaign that ended one match short of the final. Tuchel said after the tournament that the team had grown during the competition and would use the experience as preparation for future matches.
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled to take place on Sunday between Argentina and Spain, with England and France completing their tournament campaigns after the bronze-medal playoff.
