England and France produce ten-goal thriller in World Cup bronze match

England and France played the highest-scoring third-place match in World Cup history, with England winning 6-4. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick for England, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Jude Bellingham added one each. For France, Kylian Mbappé scored twice, with Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also on target.

Mbappé's two goals took his career World Cup tally to 22, overtaking Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer. Additionally, Michael Olise set a record with seven assists in the tournament, surpassing Pelé.

England dominated the first half, leading 4-0 after 37 minutes thanks to goals from Rice, Konsa, and two from Saka. France mounted a comeback in the second half: Mbappé and Barcola reduced the deficit to 2-4, then Mbappé made it 3-4. Saka restored the three-goal lead with a penalty in the 87th minute, Dembélé pulled one back in stoppage time, but Bellingham quickly sealed the 6-4 win.

This bronze is England's best World Cup result since winning the tournament in 1966. Both teams lost in the semifinals: France 0-2 to Spain, England 1-2 to Argentina. The final on Sunday will feature Argentina and Spain. This is the first 48-team World Cup, hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.