Summary The Three Lions took the lead less than three minutes in with Declan Rice’s long-range goal, then Ezri Konsa headed home Rice’s corner 15 minutes later to double England’s lead.
(Web Desk) - England and France played one of the wildest World Cup matches in history, a 6-4 England victory to secure the bronze medal at this 2026 tournament.
The 10 combined goals was the most in a World Cup game since 1982.
The Three Lions took the lead less than three minutes in with Declan Rice’s long-range goal, then Ezri Konsa headed home Rice’s corner 15 minutes later to double England’s lead.
Bukayo Saka added two before the halftime whistle as England took a stunning 4-0 lead into the break.
But France wasn’t done. In his last game after 14 years in charge, Didier Deschamps made a quadruple-sub to start the second half, shaking things up in attack with the additions of Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola.
Kylian Mbappe scored a few minutes after the intermission, his ninth goal at this tournament to take the Golden Boot lead over Lionel Messi and 21th career World Cup score, equaling the mark Messi set this summer. Barcola scored 10 minutes later and suddenly England’s lead was down to 4-2.
Mbappe scored again in the 66th minute to pull France within one and make him the all-time leader in World Cup goals. But Saka converted a penalty in the 87th to restore the two-goal advantage. Dembele, of course, responded in stoppage time to give France hope again and make it 5-4.
But it still wasn’t over!
Substitute Jude Bellingham scored in the 98th minute to ice it for England and secure the team's best World Cup finish since winning it all in 1966.
