2 min readUpdated: Jul 19, 2026 05:08 AM IST
It may have been the match that no one wants to play but England and France ended up making an exhibition out of it in Miami. England came out on top, sealing their best finish at a World Cup since 1966 as they beat France in a frantic 10-goal thriller of a bronze medal match in which both sides seemed set to humiliate the other at some stage of the match. England had sped off to a 4-0 lead in the first half, with Bukayo Saka scoring twice. France then hit back by scoring three in the early stages of the second half, two of which was scored by Kylian Mbappe which took him past Lionel Messi in the list of most prolific goalscorers in the history of the World Cup.
It was the highest-scoring World Cup game since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals were the most in a third-place match.
The goal fest started as early as in the third minute with Declan Rice first intercepting the ball from a loose pass and then slamming it home with the French defence sleeping. Rice then turned provider in the 18th minute when Ezri Konsa headed in an aerial ball provided by him. Saka’s brace then helped England finish the first half leading 4-0. The Arsenal forward, who had been struggling with injuries throughout the World Cup, scored in the 37th minute and in first-half stoppage time.
More to come…
