The 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff delivered an unforgettable showdown between England and France, ending with a dramatic 6-4 victory for the Three Lions.

The match will be remembered as one of the most chaotic finals in World Cup history. After an embarrassing first half where France found themselves trailing 4-0, the French side staged a late comeback, pulling the score to 4-3 before ultimately collapsing in the dying minutes.

Didier Deschamps’ emotional farewell ends in disappointment

Didier Deschamps concluded his tenure as France manager with a bittersweet experience. The first half was a disaster for Les Bleus, as Declan Rice (3rd minute), Ezri Konsa (18th minute), and Bukayo Saka (37th and 45th+1 minutes) exposed defensive weaknesses. The introduction of substitutes Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola at halftime transformed the French attack, with Barcola scoring in the 54th minute.

Kylian Mbappé, already the tournament’s standout performer, continued his dominance with a brace (48th and 66th minutes), bringing his World Cup tally to 22 goals across three tournaments. This performance also saw him surpass Lionel Messi’s previous record for most World Cup goals.

Michael Olise made history by breaking Pelé’s single-tournament assist record, notching seven decisive passes throughout the competition.

A record-breaking final for all the wrong reasons

Despite France’s late surge, England held firm and sealed the win through Bukayo Saka’s 87th-minute penalty, completing his hat-trick. Goals in stoppage time by Dembélé (90th+6) and Jude Bellingham (90th+8) added to the drama, making this the highest-scoring third-place playoff in World Cup history with a total of 10 goals.

For England, this victory marked their best World Cup performance since their historic 1966 triumph, offering a small consolation after their heartbreaking semi-final loss to Argentina just three days earlier.