England signed off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in spectacular fashion with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off, earning widespread praise from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Following the historic win, Starmer took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate the Three Lions, writing, “Great result tonight @England. You’ve done us proud.”
The high-scoring encounter in Miami turned into one of the most memorable third-place play-off matches in World Cup history. England stormed into a commanding 4-0 lead before half-time, with Declan Rice opening the scoring in the third minute, followed by Ezri Konsa. Bukayo Saka stole the spotlight by netting two goals before the break, leaving France stunned after conceding four first-half goals for the first time in a FIFA World Cup match.
France, however, produced a spirited comeback after the interval in what was Didier Deschamps’ final match as national team manager. Captain Kylian Mbappe ignited hopes of a remarkable turnaround with two goals, while Bradley Barcola also found the net to reduce the deficit to 4-3. Mbappe’s brace also saw him become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history with 22 goals, overtaking Lionel Messi’s previous tally of 21.
With England under pressure, Bukayo Saka completed his sensational hat-trick by converting a penalty in the 87th minute to make it 5-3. Although Ousmane Dembele scored in stoppage time to keep France’s hopes alive, Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with a late goal in the 90+8th minute, securing an unforgettable 6-4 triumph for the Three Lions.
The victory earned England the bronze medal and marked the nation’s best FIFA World Cup finish on foreign soil since winning the tournament in 1966. The thrilling performance also provided a fitting end to an impressive World Cup campaign that saw England finish on a high despite missing out on the final.