KATHMANDU, July 19: England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff on Sunday, securing the bronze medal, while France's Kylian Mbappé became the tournament's all-time leading scorer by surpassing Lionel Messi's World Cup goal tally.
At Miami Stadium, Bukayo Saka starred for England with a hat trick, while Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with a late goal.
Mbappe scores twice as France breeze past Sweden into World Cup...
Despite the defeat, Mbappe enjoyed a historic night. He opened his account in the 48th minute after beating goalkeeper Dean Henderson and added his second in the 66th minute to take his overall World Cup tally to 22 goals.
The feat moved him past Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who has scored 21 World Cup goals, making Mbappe the competition's all-time leading scorer.
Mbappe finished the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals, two more than Messi, putting him in pole position for the Golden Boot. If Messi fails to match his tally in Monday's final against Spain, Mbappe will become the first player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot twice, having already claimed the award with eight goals at the Qatar World Cup four years ago.
England dominated the opening half. Declan Rice scored in the third minute, Ezri Konsa added two goals, and Saka struck twice to give England a commanding 4,0 lead before halftime.
France mounted an impressive comeback after the break. Mbappe scored twice, while Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also found the net to bring France back into contention. However, Saka completed his hat trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute before Bellingham added another goal to seal England's victory.
After the match, Mbappe admitted France had been overwhelmed in the first half.
"We were completely stunned in the first half. We came back mentally stronger after the break. We wanted to win this match for coach Didier Deschamps, but we couldn't," he said.
Deschamps accepted responsibility for the defeat.
"We were embarrassing in the first half. The players fought back well in the second half and showed character. It's painful to end my tenure with this defeat, but the future is bright because of the young talent in this squad," he said.
The result brought an end to Deschamps' successful spell as France coach, which began in 2012. England, meanwhile, capped their best World Cup campaign since 1966 by finishing third and taking home the bronze medal.
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