England claim World Cup bronze
England claim World Cup bronze
England achieved their best World Cup finish since 1966, securing third place with a 6-4 victory over France. The match saw England race to a 4-0 lead by half-time before a spirited comeback from France.
Goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Bukayo Saka established England‘s early dominance. Rice, serving as captain, opened the scoring, followed by Konsa‘s header from a corner. Saka then added two goals, including one from a sharp breakaway and another from a through-ball by Eberechi Eze, to give England a commanding lead.
The first half saw France trail by four goals for the first time since April 1930. England manager Thomas Tuchel made seven changes for the match, including resting Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, while Saka, who had been struggling with fitness, was given a start.
Dramatic second half unfolds
France mounted a significant comeback in the second half, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another goal. Mbappé‘s goals not only narrowed the deficit but also saw him surpass Lionel Messi to become the World Cup‘s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. He also reached 10 goals for the current tournament.
Despite France‘s resurgence, Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after a foul on Djed Spence. Ousmane Dembélé then curled in a goal in stoppage time, making the score 5-4 and setting up a tense finish. However, Jude Bellingham, who came off the bench, sealed England‘s victory with his seventh goal of the tournament in the 98th minute, making him the highest-scoring England player at a single World Cup.
The match featured 38 shots, with 20 on target, and was the highest-scoring World Cup third-place match ever, surpassing the 1958 game between France and West Germany. France conceded six goals in a World Cup match for the first time, and for the first time in any match in 66 years.
Tuchel and Deschamps reflect
Thomas Tuchel expressed pride in his players’ efforts, acknowledging the pain of missing out on the final but highlighting the significance of securing England‘s first World Cup medal in 60 years and their best-ever result on foreign soil. He mentioned a pre-game speech by Jordan Henderson that helped the team focus.
Tuchel‘s assistant, Anthony Barry, spoke emotionally at half-time, noting the team’s performance despite having “broken hearts” after their semi-final exit. Saka also shared his disappointment about not playing more in the tournament but expressed satisfaction with the team’s strong finish.
For France, this match marked the final game in charge for manager Didier Deschamps after 14 years. Deschamps, who led France to World Cup victory in 2018, described his tenure as the “most beautiful period of my life.” He joked about wanting to change eight players at half-time due to the first-half performance.
Zinedine Zidane is expected to take over from Deschamps. Deschamps‘ final match ended in a competitive defeat against England, the first since 1982, despite a much-improved second-half display from his team. England will next face Spain in a Nations League meeting at Wembley on 26 September.
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Source: theguardian.com