A Wild Spectacle

LIVE: 1–4! Mbappé celebrates his 9th World Cup goal

England finishes third in the World Cup!(Bild: AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

England finishes third in the World Cup! The “Three Lions” capped off a ten-goal spectacle against France with a 6–4 victory. England was already leading 4–0 at halftime before the French launched a furious comeback.

England finished the World Cup in North America in third place. On Saturday (local time) in Miami, the “Three Lions” won a spectacular back-and-forth match against France, 6–4 (4–0), featuring two completely different halves, securing their biggest success at a World Cup since winning the title in 1966. Declan Rice (3rd), Ezri Konsa (18th), Bukayo Saka (37th, 45+1, 87th/penalty), and Jude Bellingham (98th) scored for the home of soccer.

Goals by Kylian Mbappé (48th, 66th), Bradley Barcola (54th), and Ousmane Dembélé (96th) were not enough to prevent France’s defeat in head coach Didier Deschamps’ farewell match. Mbappé thus leads both the current and all-time World Cup scoring charts. With nothing at stake, both teams put on an extremely entertaining match. 

(Bild: AFP/LUKE HALES)

Both Deschamps and England coach Thomas Tuchel—the German was booed by English fans before the game—had made seven changes each to their starting lineups compared to the semifinal. For England, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, among others, remained on the bench, while the French started with Michael Olise and Mbappé.

France Was Caught Off Guard
The first cold shower for “Les Bleus” came after less than three minutes. Rice intercepted a pass from Desire Doue and calmly curled the ball into the far corner from just under 20 meters out. At the other end, Rayan Cherki tested England’s goalie Dean Henderson (11th minute), but Tuchel’s team remained the more dangerous side. After a corner kick by Rice, Konsa headed the ball into the net. Marcus Rashford tested France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan (33rd min.), and almost immediately afterward, Mbappé was denied by Henderson.

Just a few seconds later, Rashford was initially denied by Maignan, but the ball found its way to Saka, who made it 3–0. When the Arsenal pro buried the ball with a low shot from inside the box to make it 4–0 in stoppage time of the first half, a historic halftime score was set: The last time the “Equipe tricolore” had conceded four goals in a single half was in 1968 during a European Championship qualifier against Yugoslavia. 

At halftime, Deschamps made four substitutions—bringing on Dembele and Barcola, among others—and the French came out like a different team. Mbappé kicked off the comeback after an assist from Olise. By the time Barcola scored France’s second goal, the match was wide open, and England seemed completely off their game. A spectacular combination between Olise and Mbappé led to the 3–4 goal by the Real Madrid star, who now leads Lionel Messi by two goals on the World Cup scoring list and has overtaken the Argentine (21) in the all-time World Cup scoring standings with 22 goals.

(Bild: AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

More chances at both ends
After the “hydration break,” England found their rhythm a bit better; Bellingham, who had come on as a substitute, missed a chance to make it 5–3 (81'). A few seconds later, Olise squandered a golden opportunity. The game was decided from the penalty spot: Malo Gusto brought down Djed Spence, and Saka confidently converted the penalty.

France’s fourth goal by Dembele was answered by Bellingham with a spectacular solo goal, marking the first time “Les Bleus” had conceded six goals in a World Cup match. This made the game the highest-scoring match of this World Cup. The all-time record is still held by Austria’s 7–5 victory over Switzerland in the 1954 World Cup quarterfinals.

France – England 4–6 (0–4)
Miami, 64,478 spectators, Referee Valenzuela (VEN)

Goals: 0–1 (3') Rice, 0–2 (18') Konsa, 0–3 (37') Saka, 0–4 (45'+1) Saka, 1–4 (48') Mbappé, 2–4 (54') Barcola, 3–4 (66') Mbappé, 3–5 (87') Saka (penalty), 4–5 (96') Dembele, 4–6 (98') Bellingham

France: Maignan – Gusto (91. Kone), Konate (46. Upamecano), Lacroix, T. Hernandez (46' Digne) – Zaire-Emery, Cherki (46' Dembele), Rabiot – Olise, Mbappé, Doue (46' Barcola)

England: Henderson – Quansah (83. James), Konsa, Guehi (92. Chalobah), Spence – Eze (79. Bellingham), Rogers, Rice – Saka, Toney (79. Anderson), Rashford (46. Watkins)

Yellow cards: none