MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place match, a chaotic contest that began with boos and ended with a medal for England — their best World Cup finish since 1966.
England opened with intensity and raced into a 4-0 lead by halftime. Declan Rice scored in the third minute, Ezri Konsa added a second, and Bukayo Saka netted twice before the break as France’s high line and poor defending were repeatedly exposed.
France improved after the interval. Kylian Mbappé led a revival that pulled Les Bleus within one with about 24 minutes remaining, and Didier Deschamps — managing his final game after 14 years in charge — made four halftime substitutions to change the tone. England then dropped deeper and ceded momentum in a frenetic second half.
Bukayo Saka completed his hat trick after substitute Jude Bellingham, introduced in the 79th minute, played a raking pass that led to Djed Spence being fouled on the overlap and the chance for Saka to make it 5-3. Bellingham then produced a solo goal that sealed the 6-4 final. The match featured 38 shots (19 apiece) and 20 on target.
The spectacle drew a lively crowd: a Mexican wave arrived about 10 minutes in and supporters were spotted wearing shirts from Norway, Spain, Colombia, Croatia, Mexico, Brazil and the United States, with chants for both “Mbappé” and “Bellingham.” Thomas Tuchel said postmatch, “It is the first medal in 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil, so I hope the players can be proud of that in some time.”
