England defeats France to claim bronze, Mbappé leads World Cup goal record

England defeats France to claim bronze, Mbappé leads World Cup goal record

England claims its third-place win at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ after a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in Miami - securing the Three Lions' best World Cup finish since 1966. Bukayo Saka starred with a hat-trick. Kylian Mbappé inspired a French comeback with a double. Mbappé becomes the World Cup’s record scorer - with ten goals in this tournament and 22 goals in total - moving him ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. England's Jude Bellingham sealed the final goal - his seventh goal in the tournament - at the very last minute after stoppage time. France's defeat marks the end of Didier Deschamps' tenure as coach, while Thomas Tuchel's side finishes on a high ahead of the Spain-Argentina finals on Monday, 5am AEST, July 20. Spain's teen sensation Lamine Yamal to face Argentina's Lionel Messi at the match, 20 years since their viral photo was taken . Join your host Haylena Krishnamoorthy for this episode on World Cup Daily | The 90+ Podcast, as she chats to former Matildas goalkeeper, Lydia Williams to discuss why the third-place playoffs matter, as we look ahead to the Spain-Argentina finals.

Did England get it's best finish in 60 years?

Is Mbappé in the lead for the Golden Boot race?

And how did Didier Deschamps last World Cup match go?

This is SBS News World Cup Daily, The 90+ Podcast, where we bring you the stories from on and beyond the pitch. I'm your host, Haylena Krishnamoorthy.

Or his last dance for Didier Deschamps, as Kylian Mbappé wrote in a tribute post on social media.

This third-place playoff marks 14 years for the French coach.

Some may argue it's a chance for their coach, Thomas Tuchel to find a way back in this match,..after facing criticism for changes [[with players]] he made in the semi-final match they lost 2-1 to Argentina.

"I think both teams will be feeling quite disappointed in their performances in their semi-final, so I think both will be looking to bounce from that. England probably a little bit fresher in disappointment, especially since they were leading, and could have taken the game away from Argentina. But I think France - they weren't in the game, against Spain."

That's former Matildas goalkeeper, Lydia Williams.

I spoke to her before the match to get a sense of why this match still matters.

"I think they'll be kind of looking to, to give Didier Deschamps, a really nice sendoff. Mbappé will still be looking at that golden boot race. I think it is a chance for them just to have a good final finish of the tournament so far and leading into, what will be the Euros, the next challenge that those teams will have."

For England, their last World Cup semi final win was in 1966 before their thrilling win today.

"Both teams will go into it with kind of maybe a little bit more sense of freedom, just because, they did miss out on, the title of, World Cup winner. It might be a bit more of a interesting game, a bit more free-flowing and a bit more, I guess, spectacular in ways because both teams will just wanna end on a high."

They did exactly that, for arguably one of the best third-place play-offs.

England claimed its third-place win after a 6-4 victory over France in Miami - securing the Three Lions' best World Cup finish in sixty years.

Opening just before the third minute, Declan Rice takes the ball off France's Désiré Doué.

A second goal from Ezri Konsa puts them in a good spot, before Bukayo Saka scored England's third goal, past France's Theo Hernandez, and he doubled that in the 46th minute, just before the break..

But Kylian Mbappé inspired a French comeback..

Bradley Barcola proving what the French side can do, with the second goal.

Before Mbappé comes in with his double.

Mbappé becomes the World Cup’s record scorer - with ten goals in this tournament and 22 goals in total - moving him ahead of Lionel Messi [[8 in this tournament, 21 goals total so far in the Golden Boot race.

France's Michael Olise took his assists’ tally to seven, surpassing Pele's six for Brazil in 1970.

Ousmane Dembele fired a shot for Didier Deschamps side..

And Saka's hattrick in the 87th minute penalty seals England's win - only three other Englishmen have done that before.

Sir Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker and Harry Kane.

Then England's star, Jude Bellingham who came on in the 80th minute sealed the final goal, at the very last minute - the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Marking his seventh goal in the tournament.

Commentator: "Is it going to be number six (goal)? You bet it is! What a way to sign off at the end of the World Cup..world class. Seventh World Cup goal, at 2026 for the brilliant Jude Bellingham."

"I'd say as a collective, this is what we discussed, we deserved to finish strong for the tournament that we have, we deserved to finish in the position that England has seen. For 60 years this group deserved nothing less, and that was the mentality and you saw that in the first half, it was a perfect first half and ultimately that won us the game and on a personal level as well I've worked so hard to try and get myself ready for this tournament and be available to produce moments like that and for me it's an incredible achievement, like you say it's only four other Englishmen, or three other Englishmen who have done it, it's a nice record to have now and I'm proud of myself to achieve that."

So does Mbappé think the Golden Boot is his?

Here's the striker, after the match.

"I've said it before, but Leo scores all the time. He'll definitely score tomorrow. I try to score every time for my team. When you score this many goals at a World Cup, it's true that it takes you to a whole new level. But I would've rather not been the top goalscorer and be playing tomorrow's final. I think it's good for everything to do with heritage and when we stop telling ourselves, "I was there on that day". But, today, that's not the first thing that springs to mind."

England finishes on a high ahead of the Spain-Argentina finals tomorrow.

Earlier, I asked Lydia Williams what her thoughts were on both teams.

"The way that Spain succeeds is by not letting the other team have the ball, where Argentina only need a couple chances to get that snippet goal, where they are really highly lethal. And we've seen Messi, when he has gotten, a bit frustrated by not having enough ball or the way the game's going or if they've been trailing, he kinda takes it up to a new level that, is still quite incredible and has these players that will do all of, his, his off-the-ball movements and, defensive work for him. So I think it's gonna be an interesting game of, of a team that is gonna dominate possession, not have too many chances, and then a team that will try and get on the counterattack. And when they do, they will be quite lethal."

It'll be a match between the European champions and South American champions.

"So, it'll be interesting ebb and flow. I think, as Argentina go into it, they will be wanting, again, to win it for Messi, and to have another title. So they're gonna be, I guess, the emotional rollercoaster, and I think Spain is gonna be quite level-headed and, tactical going about it. But, it might be a Spain that we want to see a little bit more emotion because of the high stakes."

One of the biggest talking points is from a UNICEF photo that's resurfaced of Lionel Messi holding baby Lamine Yamal.

The image was taken in 2007 by photographer Joan Monfort, when Messi was 20 and playing for Barcelona FC.

Spain's Yamal was just five months old - the child of immigrant parents who had moved to Spain.

His parents had won a UNICEF raffle for a calendar photo shoot with Messi, at the iconic Camp Nou stadium.

This was what Messi had to say.

"(Lamine) is an amazing player whom I follow closely because he plays for a club I love, and I always wish him the best and want the best for him. ... Honestly, looking at that photo is crazy because, well, that's life, right? I took a photo with him when he was a baby, and today we are both facing each other in a World Cup."

It's a pretty incredible contrast.

On one side, you've got 39-year-old Lionel Messi, who could be about to end what might be his final World Cup with back-to-back titles.

On the other, there's 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, chasing his very first World Cup title.

Spain comes into this final in top form, unbeaten in its last 37 international matches, and chasing a second World Cup title after lifting the trophy back in 2010.

Argentina has history in its sights too.

If they win, the country will be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the trophy.

I'll be back with you tomorrow [[Monday]] for the final match against Spain and Argentina, which starts at 5am AEST.

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