Four before half-time
England were ahead inside three minutes, Declan Rice curling in from distance, and 2-0 by the 18th when Ezri Konsa headed home from a corner. Bukayo Saka then took over: a finish on the counter in the 37th, a second on the stroke of half-time, and England went in 4-0 up at Hard Rock Stadium. For a supposed dead rubber that neither manager had wanted, it was anything but.
France answer with three
The second half belonged to France. Kylian Mbappe pulled one back in the 48th, set up Bradley Barcola for the second in the 54th, then scored again in the 66th to make it 4-3. Both of Mbappe's goals were laid on by Michael Olise, who finished the tournament with the most assists in a single World Cup edition on record. Suddenly a four-goal cushion was one, and France were pushing for the equaliser.
Saka's penalty, Bellingham's solo goal
It did not come. In the 87th minute Gusto fouled in the box, and Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore the two-goal gap. France refused to stop — Ousmane Dembele struck in the 96th minute to make it 5-4 — but Bellingham had the last word, dribbling past three defenders in the 98th to finish 6-4. It is England's best World Cup result since they won it in 1966, and their first win in a third-place playoff after losing it in 1990 and 2018.
What it means for the Golden Boot
The scoring race, level at eight apiece before kick-off, now has a clear leader. Mbappe's double takes him to 10 goals for the tournament, one ahead of Messi, who plays his final on Sunday. To reclaim it, Messi must score against Spain — two to force a tie, more to pass Mbappe outright. It is the last thread of the tournament, and it runs straight into the final: Spain vs Argentina at MetLife Stadium, 4am Monday Japan time.
Related Links
Links to the official releases and reporting used for this article.
