The England national team became the bronze medalist of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating France in a spectacular match with a score of 6:4. The match entered history as the highest-scoring in World Cups over the last 44 years. This was reported by Suspilne Sport.
England defeated France and won the bronze at the 2026 World Cup
Both teams approached the third place match after losing in the semifinals. England lost to Argentina (1:2), while France was defeated by Spain (0:2).
Thomas Tuchel's team had an excellent first half and hit the opponent's net four times before halftime. Goals were scored by Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Bukayo Saka twice.
After the break, France almost made a comeback. Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé each added a goal, narrowing the gap to a minimum.
However, at the end of the match, England scored twice more. Saka converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick, and Jude Bellingham set the final score at 6:4.
England vs. France: a historical record for World Cups
The match became the highest-scoring in FIFA World Cup history since 1982. The last time 10 goals were scored in a World Cup match was 44 years ago when Hungary defeated El Salvador 10:1.
For England, this is the first bronze medal in the World Cup won outside the country, as well as the first third-place finish since 1966.
For France, this match was the last under the leadership of Didier Deschamps, who is leaving the position of head coach after 14 years with the team. The team finished the tournament without medals.