France 4-6 England: World Cup third-place playoff – as it happened

Key events18 Jul 2026Full-time: France 4-6 England18 Jul 2026Goal! France 4-6 England (Bellingham, 90+8)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 4-5 England (Dembele, 90+6)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 3-5 England (Saka, 86 pen, hat-trick)18 Jul 2026Penalty to England!18 Jul 2026Goal! France 3-4 England (Mbappe, 67)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 2-4 England (Barcola, 54)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 1-4 England (Mbappe, 48)18 Jul 2026Half-time: France 0-4 England18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-4 England (Saka, 45+1)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-3 England (Saka, 37)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-2 England (Konsa, 19)18 Jul 2026Saka goal disallowed...18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-1 England (Rice, 3)18 Jul 2026We are go in Miami....18 Jul 2026Wenger denies impact of hydration breaks18 Jul 2026France v England teams18 Jul 2026PreambleJohn BrewinSat 18 Jul 2026 19.27 EDTFirst published on Sat 18 Jul 2026 15.00 EDTShareFrom 18 Jul 202619.13 EDTHere’s the match report on this most ludicrous of matches.

Key events18 Jul 2026Full-time: France 4-6 England18 Jul 2026Goal! France 4-6 England (Bellingham, 90+8)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 4-5 England (Dembele, 90+6)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 3-5 England (Saka, 86 pen, hat-trick)18 Jul 2026Penalty to England!18 Jul 2026Goal! France 3-4 England (Mbappe, 67)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 2-4 England (Barcola, 54)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 1-4 England (Mbappe, 48)18 Jul 2026Half-time: France 0-4 England18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-4 England (Saka, 45+1)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-3 England (Saka, 37)18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-2 England (Konsa, 19)18 Jul 2026Saka goal disallowed...18 Jul 2026Goal! France 0-1 England (Rice, 3)18 Jul 2026We are go in Miami....18 Jul 2026Wenger denies impact of hydration breaks18 Jul 2026France v England teams18 Jul 2026Preamble18 Jul 202619.24 EDTSo well done, England, and adieu Didier Deschamps, one of the greatest international coaches in history.

18 Jul 202619.23 EDTThe England players are being presented with their bronze medals. Bronze is coming home. Jordan Henderson, the master of ceremonies, calls Jason Steele, the reserve-reserve keeper on, and presents him with a medal.

Updated at 19.27 EDT18 Jul 202619.21 EDTThomas Tuchel also spoke to the BBC: “We had a brilliant first half and then a turbulent second half. You could see the difference of what one day makes and the difference in the schedule. We are so, so tired and drained from the last weeks.

“So a massive compliment and full respect - the mentality that we showed. Going through all the adversity is absolutely brilliant. I was afraid of the physical demands of the match. We know the quality and speed of France, and they have much less schedule for them. It was less demanding.

“They had one more day in-between the semi-final to digest, and they had way less travel distances than us. We played in the heat, at altitude. I was worried physically. You could see it in the second half, the cramps and all the tiredness, but I was never worried about the mentality.

“I have said it before, this team has created something very special, and they showed it again.”

Updated at 19.21 EDT18 Jul 202619.18 EDTBukayo Saka spoke afterwards to the BBC: “It was a crazy, crazy game. We’re both still quite disappointed to not be in the final but it was about finishing strong and for us giving the country the best finish in the World Cup in 60 years, so we’re happy with the final result.

“I think the first half went for us. We won the first half, they won the second half and in the end we got the two goals to win the game, so I’d say that’s how the game went.”

“Jude was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.

Of course I would love to have played more but it’s too late to talk about that. I try to do my talking on the pitch and it’s done now, move on. I’m fit.”

On Thomas Tuchel “I think that’s just part of the game. When you win there’s going to be noise, when you win there’s going to be noise, it’s how you react to it, how you use it as fuel and today we finished strong and that’s all we could really do and we did that.”

Updated at 19.20 EDT18 Jul 202619.16 EDTMichael Olise *broke* the assists record set by Pele, by the way. He got seven, in more matches, admittedly.

18 Jul 202619.15 EDTDougal gets in touch: “Not wishing to pour fuel on the fire, but….Bellingham scores and runs straight to the England bench to celebrate with the Jude-whisperer, Jordan Henderson. Cut to Tuchel, sitting on the bench. Not exactly close are they, the star player and his manager? Nice match but defending not brilliant. Cheers for all the great reportage, John.”

Updated at 19.21 EDT18 Jul 202619.13 EDTHere’s the match report on this most ludicrous of matches.

18 Jul 202619.10 EDTAndrew Harper, a voice of reason amid madness: “After the abuse meted out this week it needs to be said for the record - Thomas Tuchel has improved on Southgate and is England’s most successful coach since Alf Ramsey, if you use the not-unreasonable metric of performance at a World Cup. Fair’s fair.”

Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “Such an absurd and joyous spectacle! France played in the two best and most entertaining matches at the last two world cups, and it will take some final tomorrow for France not to extend their streak by one year. That said, it was Argentina that was their opponent in the 4-3 in 2018 and the 3-3 in ‘22. What a legacy for Deschamps!”

18 Jul 202619.08 EDTThe records that fell: the highest scoring game since 1982, Kylian Mbappe becoming the highest World Cup scorer in history, Bukayo Saka joining the World Cup hat-trick club, Jude Bellingham becoming the first Englishman to score seven World Cup goals, Michael Olise equalling Pele’s assist record for a World Cup. So there’s that.

18 Jul 202619.05 EDTCan a third-place play-off be the best match of a tournament? The answer? Yes.

18 Jul 202619.03 EDTFull-time: France 4-6 EnglandThe game that means nothing was one of the highlights of the tournament with records falling over the place. It ends with Thomas Tuchel and Didier Deschamps hugging with huge smiles. That was truly amazing.

Updated at 19.24 EDT18 Jul 202619.01 EDTGoal! France 4-6 England (Bellingham, 90+8)This is real desperation. England cannot seem to hold on to the ball aside from one man: Jude Bellingham goes on and on, and cuts in and out, beating Lacroix, righting himself and scoring. That’s his seventh goal…

Updated at 19.11 EDT18 Jul 202618.59 EDTGoal! France 4-5 England (Dembele, 90+6)Rayan Cherki, canned at half-time, has a haunted expression on the touchline. Jude Bellingham does some useful ball-carrying…but then loses it and Dembele, cutting in from the right, gets to an Upamecano pass and whips the ball home.

Updated at 19.07 EDT18 Jul 202618.57 EDT90+5 min: Dembele and Olise resume their rhythm and England are sat back deep, with Djed Spence making a clearance before then going down heavily. It looks like he’s pulled something. England down to 10.

18 Jul 202618.56 EDT90+3 min: The ref does England a solid by getting in the way when the ball is set back for a France shot. Trevoh Chalobah is coming on, the late replacement being a late replacement. Only Kobbie Mainoo with no minutes of the outfield players.

18 Jul 202618.54 EDT90+1 min: Seven minutes seems low. As Darren Fletcher told us, the ref needed a “rub down” in the second half.

18 Jul 202618.53 EDT90 min: England remain open to French attacks. There’s plenty of football left to be played. Barcola forces a corner. There will be seven minutes added. Gusto goes off, Kounde on for France.

18 Jul 202618.52 EDT88 min: Will that decide it? That seems unlikely. How did England get back in a winning position? By attacking. So then, about Atlanta, and those French misses.

18 Jul 202618.51 EDT87 min: It should be noted that Bellingham passed up the chance to score his seventh goal, the most ever by an Englishman at a World Cup. Saka follows Hurst, Lineker and Kane as an Englishman with a hat-trick.

18 Jul 202618.50 EDTGoal! France 3-5 England (Saka, 86 pen, hat-trick)It looks like Bellingham will take it, but then the ball is with Saka, for his hat-trick. The run-up is short but the penalty is true and to the right.

Updated at 19.02 EDT18 Jul 202618.48 EDTPenalty to England!85 min: Spence gallops onwards, and Gusto slides in and catches him. A definite penalty.

Updated at 18.51 EDT18 Jul 202618.47 EDT84 min: Anderson chases gamely, but France look so much more full of zest. Mbappe skids a shot from distance that Henderson fields with comfort.

18 Jul 202618.46 EDT83 min: Quansah is down, and will be replaced by James once he gets up. How this game is still 4-3 is beyond all logic.

18 Jul 202618.45 EDT81 min: Bellingham is soon involved, in releasing Watkins, and then following up, gliding on but suddenly losing the momentum. Within seconds, France go close to their fourth. It seems as Olise must score as the ball is laid into his path. But it goes wide. Somehow. How did that go wide?

Updated at 18.48 EDT18 Jul 202618.42 EDT80 min: Eze and Toney depart, as Anderson and Bellingham come on, to try and block up the midfield.

18 Jul 202618.41 EDT78 min: France free-kick, English boots swing and miss before Eze hoofs clear. Seen this movie before? There is no out-ball for England.

18 Jul 202618.40 EDT77 min: So too is Elliot Anderson. England need someone to block up the plughole. This pressure is almost as intense as that they faced in Atlanta.

18 Jul 202618.39 EDT76 min: Mbappe bobs and weaves, and falls, with Rogers having hold of his shirt. Though it looks as if Mbappe was similarly guilty. Jude Bellingham is imminent.

18 Jul 202618.38 EDT74 min: Olise is now level with Pele on assists and might have had a goal, only for him to slash wide after Gusto’s excellent pass. France want this, their ennui of the first 45 a distant memory.

Updated at 18.41 EDT18 Jul 202618.37 EDT73 min: Ivan Toney is down, following some rough stuff from Upamecano. The referee asks him to get back up.

18 Jul 202618.35 EDT71 min: No Kane, no Bellingham yet, though there is some warming up in session. How can England stop losing the ball? Bit of fun shared between Marc Guehi and Michael Olise; it’s been a Crystal Palace masterclass on both teams.

18 Jul 202618.32 EDT69 min: Brian gets in touch: “Long goal kicks: when you care enough to say to the opponent “Here, we don’t like the ball, you have it. Now hurt us, please!” ”It did a lot to cost them the game against Argentina and here we go again. Unfortunately Pickford is hopeless with the ball at his feet so I guess they don’t have a choice.”

18 Jul 202618.31 EDT68 min: There was almost another, as Mbappe just fails to reach out a telescopic leg to collect a pass. Here’s the hydration break. Thomas Tuchel’s future may rest on this.

18 Jul 202618.30 EDTGoal! France 3-4 England (Mbappe, 67)The history man does it, the all-time World Cup goalscorer, and the all-time assists, from Olise. Mbappe lashes it home with his left. Oh France, oh England.

Updated at 18.38 EDT18 Jul 202618.29 EDT65 min: Thomas Tuchel has not been a fan of Jordan Pickford’s kicking but Henderson’s has been similarly afflicted. His saves have been fine, and his defenders bail him out when Mbappe makes a mess of a backheel. England try to counter too quickly.

18 Jul 202618.27 EDT64 min: Watkins has seen plenty of the ball in linking up with Eze; England are trying not to sit back, mostly because they can’t. France look renewed, slick, and Dembele cuts inward, only to shoot at Henderson, who reads the danger well.

18 Jul 202618.26 EDT62 min: England try to keep the ball, buy some calm and collect their thoughts. Eventually, Toney almost gets to a Rice dink, only for some desperate French defending to block off the striker.

18 Jul 202618.24 EDT61 min: Richard Hirst asks: “Will Tuchel now be castigated for not parking the bus at 4-0?” France are as rampant as England were in the first half, and Olise is allowed to dance through and zip a shot wide. This is all very silly.

18 Jul 202618.23 EDT59 min: Maignan has to make a brilliant save from a Toney flick from a Rice corner that comes off Watkins and can only be clawed away. That keeps France in the contest.

18 Jul 202618.22 EDT58 min: From being a glorified friendly, there’s a bit of needle here. England need to do some attacking, and Djed Spence, as ever, leads the effort, before Upamecano makes a saving tackle.

18 Jul 202618.20 EDT56 min: Oh my, this game is so ridiculous. Dembele escapes on the left, and Henderson, who makes a fine save. One that meets the approval of Jordan Pickford. There was an offside, so the danger would have been cleared, though Henderson doesn’t know that.

18 Jul 202618.18 EDT55 min: They couldn’t, could they? They probably could. And to lose from this position, well, Thomas Tuchel’s name will be the deepest hue of mud.

Updated at 18.26 EDT18 Jul 202618.18 EDTGoal! France 2-4 England (Barcola, 54)Uh oh! Eze goes on a solo run, and decides to chip Maignan from miles out. As soon as the ball is cleared, France go back on the attack and Barcola gallops on, and slots past Henderson.