England beat France 6-4 in World Cup bronze match as Mbappé becomes all-time top scorer with 22 goals

A first-half demolition

England, still smarting from their semifinal loss to Argentina, tore into a disinterested France side from the opening whistle. Declan Rice struck before the fifth minute, robbing possession and firing past Mike Maignan. Ezri Konsa headed in a corner to double the lead, and Bukayo Saka added two more before the interval, both set up by Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze. Tuchel had left captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on the bench, yet his reshuffled attack still produced four first-half goals. France managed a single defensive foul in the entire first half, a statistic that captured their listlessness. The four goals conceded in 45 minutes equalled the total France had allowed across their previous seven matches of the tournament. The 4-0 scoreline at the break was France's worst half of football in a World Cup since the 1958 semifinal.

I don't understand what happened. It was catastrophic.

France's second-half rally

Deschamps made four substitutions at halftime, sending on Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Dayot Upamecano, and Lucas Digne. The changes sparked an immediate response. Kylian Mbappé scored twice to pull France back to 4-3, first from open play and then a penalty. Barcola and Dembélé each added goals, and France levelled at 4-4 before England pulled away. Saka completed his hat-trick, and Jude Bellingham, off the bench, curled in a late sixth to seal a 6-4 victory. The ten goals made it the highest-scoring match of the tournament.

Mbappé rewrites the record books

Mbappé's double carried him to 22 World Cup goals, one more than Lionel Messi's previous record of 21. He also moved to 10 goals for this tournament, two clear of Messi in the Golden Boot race ahead of Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain. The French forward had been the only player in blue who appeared fully engaged from the start, chasing individual history even as his teammates laboured.

People haven't always known how to appreciate your greatness, but time and history will take care of it.

Deschamps' farewell

The match marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year reign as France coach. His tenure included the 2018 World Cup title, the 2022 final, the 2021 Nations League, and the Euro 2016 final. Before kick-off, he had said the third-place match should not exist, and his players initially played as if they agreed. The second-half fightback at least spared him the indignity of a record defeat; a 3-0 loss to Brazil in 2013 remained his heaviest.

What it means

England's bronze is their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966. For Thomas Tuchel, the win offered some redemption after criticism following the semifinal collapse against Argentina. The match, played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, will be remembered less for its competitive stakes than for its throwback scoreline and Mbappé's milestone.