England beats France in World Cup third place match

England beat France 6-4 in World Cup third place thriller

England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966 with a remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the third place play-off in Miami. The match, often described as the one no team wants to play, turned into a 10-goal classic that provided a measure of consolation after the heartbreak of the semi-final defeat to Argentina.

First half dominance

England started at a blistering pace. Stand-in captain Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, firing home from distance after France failed to close him down. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead from a Rice corner, and Bukayo Saka, who had not featured in the semi-final, added a third before scoring a brilliant fourth just before half-time. England went into the break 4-0 up, leaving France, pre-tournament favourites, shell-shocked.

France fight back

France manager Didier Deschamps made a quadruple substitution at half-time in his final match in charge. The changes transformed the game. Kylian Mbappe pulled one back, then Bradley Barcola made it 4-2. Mbappe scored again to make it 4-3, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. France pushed for an equaliser, but England held on.

Saka hat-trick and Bellingham seals it

With the game finely balanced, Djed Spence won a penalty and Saka stepped up to complete his hat-trick, making him only the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat-trick. France responded again through Ousmane Dembele to make it 5-4 deep into stoppage time. But Jude Bellingham, who had come off the bench, produced a stunning solo run and finish to make it 6-4, his seventh goal of the tournament, the most by any Englishman at a single World Cup.

Reaction and context

England manager Thomas Tuchel, who had faced fierce criticism for his defensive tactics in the semi-final, said his players could be proud. "We deserve to finish in the highest position that England has seen for 60 years," he said. But he acknowledged the pain of missing the final: "It is very painful if you miss out." Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick, said he would have loved to play more in the knockout stages but tried to do his talking on the pitch.

The victory gave England their first ever win in a third place play-off and their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966. It also ended a 11-year wait for a win over France.

Cape Verde's magical run ends

Another story from the World Cup was the remarkable debut of Cape Verde, who reached the knockout stages in their first ever appearance. Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, became a global sensation, earning 29 million Instagram followers. He said the run had put his country on the map: "From now on everyone in the world know where is Cape Verde." Cape Verde drew with Spain and held Argentina until the last minute before losing.

Final: Argentina vs Spain

All eyes now turn to the final in New Jersey, where defending champions Argentina face European champions Spain. The match will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show and US President Donald Trump is expected to present the trophy. Lionel Messi, with eight goals, is chasing the golden boot and a second consecutive World Cup title, while Spain's teenage star Lamine Yamal, 19, could become the youngest player to win the tournament.