England's goalkeeper Dean Henderson concedes a goal scored by France's forward Kylian Mbappe during their Fifa World Cup 2026 third-place play-off at the Miami Stadium on Saturday night. Photo: AFP
The FIFA World Cup third-place play-off is often labelled football’s most unwanted fixture — a match between two teams still hurting from the pain of missing out on the final.
Yet, on Saturday night, England and France turned that unwanted occasion into one of the most memorable matches of the tournament.
In a breathtaking contest featuring 10 goals, England defeated France 6-4 to secure the bronze medal, bringing the expanded 48-team World Cup to a spectacular close ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.
With little more than pride at stake, both sides abandoned caution and produced a game packed with attacking intent, dramatic swings in momentum and moments of individual brilliance. Instead of the cagey affair many expected, supporters were treated to an end-to-end spectacle that will be remembered as one of the greatest third-place play-offs in World Cup history.
