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Sometimes the wildest game hides inside the one nobody thought mattered. The third-place play-off was meant to be a dead rubber between two disappointed sides. Instead it became ten goals, a hat-trick, and a slice of World Cup history. England beat France 6-4 in the highest-scoring World Cup match since 1982, taking third place — their best men’s World Cup finish since winning it in 1966 — and leaving France fourth. As at 19 July 2026.
A first half from another planet
At the break it was 4-0 England. Declan Rice struck inside three minutes, Ezri Konsa doubled it on 18, and then Bukayo Saka took over: two before half-time (37′ and 45+1′) on the way to a hat-trick he completed from the spot on 87′. With it, Saka became only the second Englishman ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match — after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final itself. Jude Bellingham capped it deep in stoppage time (90+8′).
| Goals | England | France |
|---|---|---|
| Scorers | Rice 3′, Konsa 18′, Saka 37′, 45+1′, 87′ (pen), Bellingham 90+8′ | Mbappé 48′, Barcola 54′, Mbappé 66′, Dembélé 90+6′ |
| Half-time | 4-0 | — |
| Final | 6 (3rd) | 4 (4th) |
France’s fightback — and a record along the way
France didn’t fold. After the break Mbappé pulled one back (48′), Barcola followed (54′), and suddenly there was a game. But the real drama was personal: Mbappé’s brace took him to 22 career World Cup goals, moving past Lionel Messi’s 21. Kylian Mbappé is now the all-time World Cup top scorer. More on that: the Golden Boot race.
Read next
- Today — Spain v Argentina, the final
- Mbappé takes the goals record and Golden Boot lead
- Messi’s last World Cup dance and the Golden Ball
Sources: England FA (official match centre), beIN Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera (18 July 2026). In NZ, TAB NZ is the only lawful operator; 18+; gambling help at gamblinghelpline.co.nz.
