England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in Miami, as reported by Softfootball. Bukayo Saka was the standout performer, netting a hat-trick, and helping England achieve its highest World Cup finish since the championship win in 1966.
The Three Lions made a remarkable start, taking a 4-0 lead by half-time thanks to Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two goals from Saka, capitalizing on a lackluster performance from France. However, Les Bleus fought back in the second half, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, alongside a goal from Bradley Barcola.
As France threatened a remarkable comeback, Djed Spence won a pivotal penalty, which was converted by Saka to secure his hat-trick. Ousmane Dembele’s goal in stoppage time briefly rekindled French hopes, but substitute Jude Bellingham sealed England’s sixth goal, marking his seventh in the tournament and confirming a historic win.
Spain and Argentina will now meet in the World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, with the prestigious trophy and an entry into football history at stake.
Player Ratings
England
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Dean Henderson | 6.2 |
| Jarell Quansah | 5.8 |
| Ezri Konsa | 7.7 |
| Marc Guéhi | 7.2 |
| Djed Spence | 7.2 |
| Declan Rice | 8.4 |
| Bukayo Saka | 9.8 |
| Eberechi Eze | 8.0 |
| Morgan Rogers | 7.3 |
| Marcus Rashford | 7.9 |
| Ivan Toney | 6.7 |
| Ollie Watkins (Sub) | 6.4 |
| Elliot Anderson (Sub) | 6.1 |
| Jude Bellingham (Sub) | 6.5 |
| Reece James (Sub) | 6.0 |
France
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Mike Maignan | 5.0 |
| Malo Gusto | 5.3 |
| Ibrahima Konaté | 4.5 |
| Maxence Lacroix | 6.5 |
| Theo Hernández | 5.2 |
| Warren Zaïre-Emery | 5.5 |
| Adrien Rabiot | 5.7 |
| Michael Olise | 8.7 |
| Rayan Cherki | 6.5 |
| Désiré Doué | 5.6 |
| Kylian Mbappé | 9.1 |
| Lucas Digne (Sub) | 6.6 |
| Dayot Upamecano (Sub) | 7.1 |
| Ousmane Dembélé (Sub) | 8.0 |
| Bradley Barcola (Sub) | 7.5 |
Match Statistics
| Stat | France | England |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Possession | 46% | 54% |
| Attempts | 19 | 19 |
| On Target | 9 | 11 |
| Corners | 3 | 4 |
| Offsides | 3 | 3 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Passes | 405 | 467 |
