Who won World Cup third place? England beat France
England finished third at the 2026 World Cup after beating France 6-4 in Miami, claiming their first World Cup medal in 60 years. So who won World Cup bronze? The Three Lions, under Thomas Tuchel, sealed third place for the first time while Argentina and Spain still contest Sunday’s final.
Key Takeaways
- England beat France 6-4 in Miami to finish third at the 2026 World Cup — their best men’s finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.
- Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, becoming only the second England player after Sir Geoff Hurst to do so in a World Cup knockout match.
- Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time sixth goal was his seventh of the tournament, the most by an England player at a World Cup.
- Thomas Tuchel called the seven-week campaign “something very special,” while stressing the squad still cannot fully celebrate a bronze medal.
- Kylian Mbappé scored twice to reach 10 goals at this World Cup and 22 in World Cups overall, surpassing Lionel Messi’s all-time mark ahead of Sunday’s final.
For fans tracing how England’s tournament story compares with past campaigns, our Nostalgia: Then & Now archive puts this bronze finish beside the long wait since 1966.
What happened in England’s third-place match against France?
England raced into a 4-0 half-time lead in an extraordinary bronze-medal clash in Miami. Declan Rice, the stand-in captain, drove England ahead inside three minutes. Ezri Konsa headed in Rice’s corner for the second, before Bukayo Saka struck twice before the break.
France, in Didier Deschamps’ final game after 14 years in charge, responded after the interval. Deschamps made multiple changes at half-time. Kylian Mbappé pulled one back three minutes after the restart and later supplied Bradley Barcola. Mbappé struck again to make it 4-3 midway through the second half.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Malo Gusto was adjudged to have brought down Djed Spence. Ousmane Dembélé made it 5-4 in injury time, but substitute Jude Bellingham had the final say deep into stoppage time.
According to The Guardian, Bellingham’s goal was his seventh of the tournament — the most by an England player at a World Cup — after he came off the bench to seal a 6-4 win.
Why does finishing third matter for England right now?
England’s victory delivered their first World Cup medal in 60 years and their first at a World Cup on foreign soil. It is also the country’s best men’s finish since winning the tournament at home in 1966.
That context mattered because the squad arrived with broken hearts. England had been within five minutes plus stoppages of reaching their first World Cup final on foreign soil before Messi inspired Argentina’s late comeback in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Saka, an unused substitute in that semi-final, admitted he was disappointed not to have played more but said the bronze game was about finishing strong. “Obviously we’re both quite disappointed to not be in the final but it was about finishing strong and for us giving the country the best position in the World Cup they have finished for 60 years, so we’re happy with the final result,” he said.
Tuchel’s assistant Anthony Barry captured the mood at 4-0 up, telling the BBC England were “playing a game with broken hearts” yet still facing a world-class opponent. The cynics, he said, would call the display too late — but the performance still offered pride for the players and supporters at home.
What did Thomas Tuchel say after England claimed third?
Tuchel, who was booed by some supporters when his name was read out before kick-off, framed the result as progress without pretending bronze erases the pain of missing the final.
“This game will help us for sure – even if you can never fully celebrate a bronze medal,” Tuchel said. “It’s the first [World Cup] medal for 60 years, first [at a] World Cup on foreign soil, and I hope the players can be proud of that at some point. We set ourselves the highest dream to chase, and we were very, very ambitious with our dream to make the final in the World Cup. So it’s very, very painful if you miss out, the pain will stay for a while.”
He revealed that Jordan Henderson’s pre-match speech helped put the achievement in perspective. “He put us in the right frame of mind, with everyone in one mindset. It was unbelievable because today was very emotional. We built something very special in the last seven weeks, and we’ll never negotiate on that.”
Tuchel still demanded improvement: better football, better game management under pressure, clearer decisions, and more economical defending. The next checkpoint is a Nations League meeting with Spain at Wembley on 26 September.
How did club stars shape this all-time World Cup classic?
Chelsea reported that Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah helped England finish third after the 6-4 win over Malo Gusto’s France. Gusto started at right-back for Les Bleus, while James and Chalobah came off the England bench in the closing stages. N’Golo Kanté was also among France’s unused substitutes.
Saka’s penalty hat-trick made him only the second Three Lions player — after Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final — to score three in a World Cup knockout match. Manchester City noted that Marc Guéhi kept his starting place and Elliot Anderson came on as England tried to stem France’s second-half surge, with Rayan Cherki starting for France.
Mbappé’s brace took him to 10 goals at this tournament and 22 at World Cups in total, surpassing Messi’s all-time record as he pushed for a second successive Golden Boot. Messi’s Argentina will have a chance to overhaul that mark in Sunday’s final against Spain in New Jersey.
Deschamps departed after reaching the 2018 and 2022 finals, becoming only the third person to win the World Cup as a player and manager. He joked he could have changed eight players at half-time, then called his spell “the most beautiful period of my life.” Zinedine Zidane is poised to take over.
England did not win the World Cup itself — that question still belongs to Sunday’s final — but they answered the bronze question emphatically. A 6-4 thriller, a 60-year wait ended, and a manager insisting the special bond of seven weeks must now become a platform, not a full stop.