By Nasiru Ibrahim
England claimed the bronze medal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place playoff that produced 10 goals.
The Three Lions made the brighter start, with Declan Rice opening the scoring before Bukayo Saka inspired the victory with a brilliant hat-trick. Jude Bellingham added two goals as England’s attacking quality proved decisive in a pulsating encounter.
France responded through Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice to take his tournament tally to 10 goals. Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola also found the net, but Les Bleus were unable to overturn England’s advantage.
Mbappé now leads the race for the Golden Boot with 10 goals, but the award remains undecided as Lionel Messi will have the opportunity to add to his tally when Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.
England end their World Cup campaign with the bronze medal, while France finish fourth after an entertaining third-place playoff.
