The World Cup third-place match turned into a true dramatic series. The England national team, starting the match with a crushing lead, almost missed out on victory but ultimately secured a historic success. The match against France, broadcast on MEGOGO, showed that even with a score of 0:4, the intrigue could be maintained until the final seconds.

Crushing Start and Saka's Brace

The English demonstrated incredible efficiency at the start of the match. Already in the 3rd minute, Declan Rice opened the scoring, making the opponent nervous from the first seconds. Fifteen minutes later, it was Rice who organized the attack that ended with a goal by Ezri Konsa, putting the hosts ahead 0:2.

Bukayo Saka played a key role in the first half. First, he realized Marcus Rashford's pass, and then he scored a precise shot himself, assisted by Eberechi Eze. By halftime, the score was already 0:4, and it seemed the outcome of the match was predetermined.

France's Counterattack

The second half began with an unexpected surge from the French. Michael Olise became the key creator of attacks: his pass allowed Kylian Mbappé to reduce the deficit in the 48th minute. Just six minutes later, Bradley Barcola, taking advantage of Mbappé's pass, leveled the score to 2:4.

In the 66th minute, the Olise-Mbappé duo showed themselves again: Kylian completed a brace, bringing intrigue back into the game. The score of 3:4 held until the 87th minute, when Saka converted a penalty, restoring the two-goal lead.

Final Note and Historic Achievement

France did not give up until the very end. In stoppage time, Ousmane Dembélé scored another goal, reducing the deficit to one goal. However, Jude Bellingham put the final point to the match, scoring in the eighth minute of added time. The final score was 4:6 in favor of England.

This victory was historic for the England national team: for the first time since 1966, when they became world champions, the team won medals at the World Cup. In 1990 and 2018, the English lost the third-place matches.

Results for France

For France, the defeat was a serious blow: for the first time in the last three World Cups, they remained without medals. In 2018, the French won the tournament, and in 2022, they lost in the final to Argentina. Now they must review their tactics and preparation for the next competitions.

The 2026 World Cup bronze match will be remembered not only as England's triumph but also as an example of perseverance and struggle demonstrated by both teams until the final whistle.