England beat France 6-4 to secure World Cup 2026 third-place finish

Kylian Mbappé netted a brace for France in the World Cup third‑place playoff, taking his tournament tally to a new record as the French side fell 6‑4 to England. The French forward opened the scoring early before adding a second midway through the first half, surpassing the previous benchmark for most goals by a player in a single World Cup edition. Despite Mbappé’s individual milestone, France were unable to contain a relentless English attack that saw six different players find the net, with the decisive goal coming in the closing minutes.

England’s high‑scoring victory secured them third place in the tournament, marking their best finish in a decade and providing a morale boost ahead of upcoming qualifiers. The match, played before a capacity crowd, highlighted the tournament’s offensive flair and underscored the depth of talent across both squads. With the competition now concluded, the focus shifts to the next international calendar as teams regroup and plan for future campaigns.