The third-place match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup turned into a true battle of giants. The England national team, despite fierce resistance from their opponent, defeated France with a score of 6:4. This victory was historic for the "Three Lions," returning to the podium of the World Championship after 60 years.
Crushing first half
England started the match with incredible energy, leaving the opponent almost no chances in the first half of the game. As early as the 3rd minute, Declan Rice opened the scoring, forcing the French to hurry with a response. Fifteen minutes later, it was Rice who organized the second attack, sending the ball to Ezri Konsa, who confidently capitalized on the moment.
The second half of the first period was dominated by Bukayo Saka. First, he scored from a pass by Marcus Rashford, and then he provided an assist to himself after a pass from Eberechi Eze. By halftime, the score was crushing — 0:4, and the intrigue in the match seemed exhausted.
France's return and the drama of the second half
However, in the second half, the script of the game changed dramatically. The French national team, led by Kylian Mbappé, launched a fierce attack. Michael Olise made a perfect pass, and Mbappé managed to "break the deadlock" in the 48th minute. Following this, in the 54th minute, Bradley Barcola, taking advantage of a pass from Mbappé, scored against Andy Henderson.
In the 66th minute, the Olise and Mbappé tandem worked again: the French forward completed a brace, bringing intrigue back into the game. The score of 3:4 held until the 87th minute, when Bukayo Saka converted a penalty, restoring England's comfortable lead.
Final surge and historic victory
In stoppage time, France tried to recover. Ousmane Dembélé scored his goal in the 96th minute, reducing the deficit to one goal. However, the final word in this dramatic confrontation was spoken by Jude Bellingham, who scored in the 98th minute. The final score was 6:4.
This victory is of colossal significance for English football. The England national team won medals at the World Cup for the first time since 1966, when they became champions. In 1990 and 2018, the English lost the third-place matches, but this time they managed to reach the podium.
For France, the defeat was a bitter disappointment. Didier Deschamps' charges were left without medals for the first time in three consecutive World Cups. Previously, the French won the tournament in 2018 and lost in the final to Argentina in 2022.
