World Cup· Season 2026
England beat France 6-4 in the World Cup 2026 bronze final in Miami. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, Kylian Mbappé became the all-time World Cup top scorer, and Jude Bellingham sealed it in the 98th minute.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
England exploded out of the blocks inside three minutes. Declan Rice — captaining the side with Harry Kane rested — intercepted a loose Désiré Doué pass, drove forward and rifled a 25-yard curler past Mike Maignan (3’). Rice then turned provider, swinging in a corner that Ezri Konsa headed home to double the lead (18’).
Bukayo Saka took over before half-time. Marcus Rashford teed him up for the third goal after a blistering counter-attack (37’), then Eberechi Eze’s penetrative pass allowed Saka to angle in his second on the stroke of half-time (45+1’). France were 4-0 down at the break and shell-shocked.
Didier Deschamps — in his final match as France manager after 14 years — responded with a quadruple substitution at half-time, introducing Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué and Théo Hernández. The impact was immediate. Michael Olise slipped a through ball for Kylian Mbappé, who slotted home (48’). Mbappé then turned provider, feeding Barcola to make it 4-2 (54’). Olise and Mbappé combined again for Mbappé’s second of the night (66’), and suddenly it was 4-3 with France rampant.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was tripped by Malo Gusto, restoring England’s two-goal cushion. But Dembélé struck in the 90+6th minute — assisted by Dayot Upamecano — to make it 5-4. Then, in the 90+8th minute, substitute Jude Bellingham danced through the French defence, sold a dummy and slotted home England’s sixth to seal a historic victory.
The turning point
France had all the momentum after Mbappé’s second goal, with Olise twice coming close to an equaliser. Thomas Tuchel’s decision to introduce Bellingham and Elliot Anderson from the bench in the 79th minute proved decisive. Bellingham immediately swung the momentum back England’s way, winning the penalty that Saka converted and then scoring the clincher himself.
Key performers
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Bukayo Saka (England) — A hat-trick (37’, 45+1’, 87’ pen) in the biggest match of his career. The Arsenal winger, who did not start the semi-final defeat to Argentina, became just the fourth Englishman to score a World Cup hat-trick after Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker and Harry Kane (The Independent).
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Kylian Mbappé (France) — Two goals (48’, 66’) took him to 10 for the tournament — the first male player to reach double figures at a single World Cup since Gerd Müller in 1970 — and 22 in World Cup history, surpassing Lionel Messi’s 21 as the all-time record (DW). He also assisted Barcola’s goal. Mbappé’s 10 goals in 2026 put him top of the Golden Boot race heading into the final.
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Declan Rice (England) — Opened the scoring with a stunning 3rd-minute curler, assisted Konsa’s goal from a corner, and captained the side with authority.
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Jude Bellingham (England) — Arrived from the bench in the 79th minute and transformed the game. His 90+8th-minute goal was his seventh of the tournament, setting a new England record for most goals by a Three Lions player at a single major tournament (The Independent).
Player of the match: Bukayo Saka (England)
By the numbers — interpreted
England’s 4-0 half-time lead was built on ruthlessness in transition — three of their four first-half goals came from French turnovers. The 10 goals made this the highest-scoring World Cup bronze final in history. Mbappé’s two goals moved him to 10 for the tournament, equalling a 56-year-old record for a single edition. Michael Olise recorded two assists, taking his tournament tally to a tournament-leading seven, another record (The Independent).
What it means
England claim their first World Cup bronze medal and their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966. Thomas Tuchel, who signed a contract extension before the tournament, will lead the team into the next cycle. For France, the defeat marks the end of Didier Deschamps’ 14-year reign as manager. He leaves having won the 2018 World Cup, reached the 2022 final, and made the 2026 semi-finals. Mbappé’s 22 World Cup goals make him the all-time top scorer, though Lionel Messi has a chance to reclaim the record in Sunday’s final against Spain.
Verdict
A game of two halves in the truest sense — and arguably the most entertaining match of the tournament. England’s first-half brilliance was almost undone by France’s second-half storm, but Saka’s composure from the spot and Bellingham’s late heroics ensured a memorable finish. The 6-4 scoreline was fitting for a match that refused to follow any script.
Match Events
assist: M. Rashford
assist: M. Olise
assist: Kylian Mbappé
assist: M. Olise
Penalty
assist: D. Upamecano
France and England have met 3 times — France won 2, England won 0, with 1 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2012. France leads the head-to-head with 2 victories from 3 meetings. A combined 10 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 3.33 per match (6 for the home side, 4 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 3 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (67%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. France are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 3–2 in 2017.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 19 Jul 2026