England lead France 2-0 in World Cup third-place match as Trump criticises Tuchel's Kane tactics
England raced to a 2-0 lead inside the opening phase of the World Cup third-place match against France in Miami, while Donald Trump used a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to criticise Thomas Tuchel's defensive tactics in the semi-final.
Fast start in Miami
England flew out of the blocks in the World Cup third-place match at Hard Rock Stadium, scoring twice in the opening phase. Declan Rice intercepted a French pass in midfield, drove forward and finished cleanly to make it 1-0. The goal came in his 69th match of a season in which he had struggled with fatigue and hamstring complaints. Minutes later, Ezri Konsa headed in a corner to double the lead. Bukayo Saka then had a goal ruled out for offside after a quick counter-attack, and Marcus Rashford saw a shot deflect off Malo Gusto for a corner. France's first threat came when Rayan Cherki forced a save from Dean Henderson, normally England's reserve goalkeeper.
- Declan Rice intercepts a French pass, dribbles forward and scores to make it 1-0 for England.
- Ezri Konsa heads in from a corner to double England's lead to 2-0.
- Bukayo Saka finishes a counter-attack but the goal is disallowed for offside.
- Marcus Rashford's shot deflects off Malo Gusto for a corner.
- Dean Henderson saves a hard shot from Rayan Cherki at the edge of the penalty area.
Selection calls
Both coaches rotated their sides for the consolation final. France started Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, while England left Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on the bench. Ivan Toney earned only his second England start, having spent much of the past two years out of the international picture after moving to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, where he scored 32 goals in 32 league matches last season. A third-place finish would give England their best World Cup result since the 1966 title; they finished fourth in 1990 and 2018. France entered with two world titles, two runner-up finishes and two previous third places.
Trump weighs in
A day before the match, Donald Trump hosted FIFA president Gianni Infantino at Trump Tower in New York. The former US president used the occasion to defend Harry Kane, whom he described as a golf friend, and to question Thomas Tuchel's tactics in England's 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina. England had led through a Gordon goal before dropping deep and conceding late.
Harry has been fantastic. I think maybe they made a mistake when they turned him into a defensive player. They were winning, they took their best player and put him in defence. We have to be a little offensive, right? What do I know about football or coaching? But it was a bit unusual.
Trump also revealed he had phoned Infantino to discuss the suspension of American forward Folarin Balogun, who received a red card against Bosnia. He said he made a recommendation, then joked that he had not actually intervened, adding that the outcome was better because there was no controversy.
Infantino's praise
Infantino told Trump the tournament had "exceeded all expectations" and fulfilled a promise made in 2018 that America would host the world. He credited Trump as essential to the event's success, saying the World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without him. Infantino did not address the exclusion of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was barred over suspected links to terrorist groups.
What comes next
The third-place match continues in Miami, with England holding a 2-0 advantage after a dominant opening. France will need a rapid response to avoid a second consecutive defeat after their semi-final loss. The final, between Argentina and the winner of the other semi-final, will follow on Sunday.
