England claimed third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after surviving a spirited second-half fightback from France to secure a thrilling 6-4 victory in a remarkable 10-goal playoff.

The Three Lions produced a dominant first-half performance, racing into a commanding 4-0 lead before the break, but were forced to withstand a dramatic French resurgence in the second half.

Bukayo Saka was the standout performer for England, scoring a hat-trick, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jude Bellingham also found the back of the net.

England took control of the contest from the opening stages, capitalizing on a disjointed French defence to establish a four-goal advantage by half-time.

Rice and Konsa were both on target, while Saka struck twice to put England firmly in command and seemingly on course for a comfortable victory.

France, however, emerged from the interval transformed and quickly turned what had appeared to be a one-sided contest into a frantic battle.

Captain Kylian Mbappe led the comeback with two goals, while Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also scored as Les Bleus exposed vulnerabilities in the England defence.

The four-goal response briefly threatened to produce one of the most extraordinary comebacks of the tournament, but England maintained their attacking threat despite coming under sustained pressure.

Saka completed his hat-trick to restore England’s cushion before Bellingham added another goal to ensure the Three Lions stayed ahead in the high-scoring encounter.

France continued to push forward in search of a way back into the match, but England held on to secure the 6-4 victory and end their World Cup campaign on a winning note.

The result provided some consolation for England following their painful 2-1 semi-final defeat to defending champions Argentina. England had taken the lead in that encounter through Anthony Gordon before late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez ended their hopes of reaching the final.

France, meanwhile, were also left to settle for a place outside the tournament’s top three after failing to complete their second-half comeback.

While the third-place playoff lacked the ultimate prize of a World Cup final, England and France delivered an entertaining spectacle, combining for 10 goals in a dramatic end to their respective campaigns.

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