Saturday, July 18: France vs England (3rd Place Playoff), 2:00 pm PST
Using a Brazil VPN, I was able to watch the entire match on our LG big-screen TV (via my laptop's USB-C port and a USB-C-to-HDMI cable).
All of the World Cup matches were free to stream on YouTube in Brazil. I really enjoyed watching this match, and was hoping for a French comeback (which almost succeeded).
Here is a detailed write-up of the match by ChatGPT:
England capped their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a thrilling 6–4 victory over France in the third-place playoff on July 18, 2026, in Miami. The match became the highest-scoring third-place game in World Cup history, featuring dramatic momentum swings, a hat-trick by Bukayo Saka, and another record-breaking performance from Kylian Mbappé.
Match Summary
England started at a blistering pace and completely overwhelmed France in the first half. Thomas Tuchel's side pressed aggressively, won second balls, and repeatedly exploited France's defensive errors.
By halftime, England held a seemingly unassailable 4–0 lead.
France, however, mounted an extraordinary comeback after the break, scoring four times to briefly threaten an unlikely equalizer before England finished the game with two late goals.
Goal-by-goal
⚽ 1–0 England — Declan Rice
Rice opened the scoring with an excellent curling strike from outside the penalty area. His shot bent beyond the goalkeeper into the corner, giving England an early lead and setting the tone for the match.
⚽ 2–0 England — Ezri Konsa
England doubled their advantage when defender Ezri Konsa capitalized on poor French defending and finished confidently, putting France under significant pressure.
⚽ 3–0 England — Bukayo Saka
Saka scored his first of the afternoon after another flowing England attack. His composed finish effectively put England in complete control before halftime.
⚽ 4–0 England — Bukayo Saka
Just before halftime, Saka struck again to complete England's devastating first-half performance. France entered the break facing what looked like an impossible deficit.
France's comeback
Whatever was said in France's dressing room produced an immediate response.
⚽ 4–1 France — Bradley Barcola
Barcola finally broke through for France, giving them a glimmer of hope early in the second half.
⚽ 4–2 France — Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé powered home France's second. Besides keeping France alive, the goal also moved him to 10 goals in the tournament and made him the all-time leading World Cup scorer across all tournaments.
⚽ 4–3 France — Ousmane Dembélé
France's pressure continued, with Dembélé finishing another attack to reduce the deficit to a single goal. Suddenly, England looked nervous.
⚽ 4–4 France — Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé struck again to complete an astonishing comeback from 4–0 down. At this point, all the momentum belonged to France.
England regains control
⚽ 5–4 England — Bukayo Saka (Penalty)
England earned a late penalty after sustained pressure. Saka calmly converted to complete his hat-trick, restoring England's lead at a crucial moment.
⚽ 6–4 England — Jude Bellingham
Deep into stoppage time, France pushed everyone forward in search of another equalizer. England broke away, and Jude Bellingham finished the counterattack to seal the victory. It was his seventh goal of the tournament, the most by an England player in a single World Cup.
Standout performances
- Bukayo Saka (England): Hat-trick and Man of the Match.
- Declan Rice (England): Controlled midfield and opened the scoring.
- Jude Bellingham (England): Capped an outstanding tournament with the decisive final goal.
- Kylian Mbappé (France): Scored twice, won the tournament Golden Boot race, and became the all-time leading World Cup scorer despite France's defeat.
Final statistics
- Final score: England 6–4 France
- Competition: 2026 FIFA World Cup Third-Place Playoff
- Goals: 10 (a record for a World Cup third-place match)
- Halftime: England 4–0 France
- England scorers: Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Bukayo Saka (3), Jude Bellingham
- France scorers: Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappé (2), Ousmane Dembélé
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