England Beat France 6-4 to Claim World Cup Third Place as Mbappe Breaks All-Time Scoring Record

• England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup third place playoff, while Kylian Mbappe became the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer despite Les Bleus’ defeat.

England secured third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in an action-packed playoff match on Saturday, while French superstar Kylian Mbappe became the highest goalscorer in World Cup history.

Both teams entered the match hoping to end their campaigns on a positive note after suffering semifinal defeats. England were edged out by Argentina, while France fell to Spain.

England manager Thomas Tuchel rested several key players, including captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, while France coach Didier Deschamps, who is set to leave his role after the tournament, also made multiple changes to his starting lineup.

The Three Lions made a dream start as Declan Rice fired home from long range in the third minute before Ezri Konsa doubled the lead with a header.

Bukayo Saka then took centre stage, scoring twice before halftime to give England a commanding 4-0 advantage, leaving France stunned.

Deschamps responded with four substitutions at the break, and the changes immediately sparked a revival. Mbappe scored to reduce the deficit before Bradley Barcola added another to make it 4-2.

Mbappe struck again later in the second half, taking his World Cup tally to 22 goals and surpassing Lionel Messi to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

However, England restored their cushion after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence inside the box. Saka converted the resulting penalty to complete his hat-trick and make it 5-3.

Ousmane Dembele scored France’s fourth goal to keep the contest alive, but Jude Bellingham, introduced from the bench, sealed England’s victory with a superb solo effort to make it 6-4.

Bellingham’s strike also saw him become the first England player to score seven goals at a single FIFA World Cup.

The victory secured England’s best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966, although Tuchel’s side will still reflect on their heartbreaking semifinal loss to defending champions Argentina.

France, who lifted the World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022, ended the tournament in fourth place despite Mbappe’s historic individual achievement.

Attention now turns to Sunday’s World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where defending champions Argentina will face European champions Spain for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title.