England beats France in World Cup third place match
England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third place play-off. Cape Verde's World Cup run also concluded.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
England beat France 6-4 in World Cup third place thriller
England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966 with a remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the third place play-off in Miami. The match, often described as the one no team wants to play, turned into a 10-goal classic that provided a measure of consolation after the heartbreak of the semi-final defeat to Argentina.
First half dominance
England started at a blistering pace. Stand-in captain Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, firing home from distance after France failed to close him down. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead from a Rice corner, and Bukayo Saka, who had not featured in the semi-final, added a third before scoring a brilliant fourth just before half-time. England went into the break 4-0 up, leaving France, pre-tournament favourites, shell-shocked.
France fight back
France manager Didier Deschamps made a quadruple substitution at half-time in his final match in charge. The changes transformed the game. Kylian Mbappe pulled one back, then Bradley Barcola made it 4-2. Mbappe scored again to make it 4-3, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. France pushed for an equaliser, but England held on.
Saka hat-trick and Bellingham seals it
With the game finely balanced, Djed Spence won a penalty and Saka stepped up to complete his hat-trick, making him only the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat-trick. France responded again through Ousmane Dembele to make it 5-4 deep into stoppage time. But Jude Bellingham, who had come off the bench, produced a stunning solo run and finish to make it 6-4, his seventh goal of the tournament, the most by any Englishman at a single World Cup.
Reaction and context
England manager Thomas Tuchel, who had faced fierce criticism for his defensive tactics in the semi-final, said his players could be proud. "We deserve to finish in the highest position that England has seen for 60 years," he said. But he acknowledged the pain of missing the final: "It is very painful if you miss out." Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick, said he would have loved to play more in the knockout stages but tried to do his talking on the pitch.
The victory gave England their first ever win in a third place play-off and their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966. It also ended a 11-year wait for a win over France.
Cape Verde's magical run ends
Another story from the World Cup was the remarkable debut of Cape Verde, who reached the knockout stages in their first ever appearance. Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, became a global sensation, earning 29 million Instagram followers. He said the run had put his country on the map: "From now on everyone in the world know where is Cape Verde." Cape Verde drew with Spain and held Argentina until the last minute before losing.
Final: Argentina vs Spain
All eyes now turn to the final in New Jersey, where defending champions Argentina face European champions Spain. The match will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show and US President Donald Trump is expected to present the trophy. Lionel Messi, with eight goals, is chasing the golden boot and a second consecutive World Cup title, while Spain's teenage star Lamine Yamal, 19, could become the youngest player to win the tournament.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC NEWS | BBC One | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England will play France in the third-place play-off on Saturday. | ||||||
| England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third place match. | · | |||||
| England's third-place finish was their best World Cup performance since 1966. | · | |||||
| Thomas Tuchel said he takes accountability for the loss and has no regrets about his tactics. | · | |||||
| Donald Trump mocked England's defensive tactics against Argentina. | · | · | ||||
| England lost to Argentina after conceding two late goals. | · | · | ||||
| If England win the third place play-off, they will become the most successful men's World Cup team bar the 1966 team. | · | · | ||||
| Thomas Tuchel defended his game plan and blamed the loss on England's football DNA. | · | · | ||||
| Jude Bellingham scored seven goals in the tournament, the most by an Englishman at a single World Cup. | · | · | · | |||
| Kylian Mbappe became the World Cup's all-time top scorer, surpassing Lionel Messi. | · | · | · | |||
| President Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a joint news conference at Trump Tower. | · | · | · | |||
| Smoke from Canadian wildfires caused an air quality health alert at the stadium in New York/New Jersey, which may affect the final. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 focused heavily on the pre-match build-up and the criticism of Thomas Tuchel, with extensive reporting from Miami. Their post-match coverage highlighted the entertainment value of the 6-4 win and the bittersweet feeling of finishing third. The tone was balanced, acknowledging the achievement while noting the disappointment of the semi-final loss.
- “A crazy, crazy game of football. I wish that was the final, 6-4.”
- “If lessons can be learnt from here, particularly from the Argentina game, and future England teams can be built around Jude Bellingham, there's no reason why they can't close the gap on the world's best.”
BBC NEWS provided extensive post-match analysis, including a detailed goal-by-goal recap and interviews. They gave significant coverage to Cape Verde's story, with a long interview with goalkeeper Vozinha. The tone was reflective, focusing on the historical context of England's third place and the broader tournament narratives.
- “England, who had that bitter disappointment of being just five minutes away of reaching the final before losing to Argentina, they hit the ground running.”
- “This means everything because we are one country, then they always give us like how, like we said in the World Cup 1%.”
Sky News gave prominent coverage to Donald Trump's comments on England's tactics and his intervention in the Balogun red card controversy. Their analysis, led by presenter James Green, was critical of Trump's involvement and questioned FIFA's neutrality. The match itself was covered as a thrilling spectacle, but the editorial focus was on the political and governance issues surrounding the tournament.
- “I thought it was extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary to hear him first of all talk about the tactical game of England's, which was remarkable.”
- “It stinks. I don't like it. I don't like hearing him still continually talk about it because he's almost reiterating the fact that I did this.”
BBC ONE West focused on the local angle of the World Cup final air quality concerns and the England match. Their coverage of the third place play-off was concise, highlighting the 6-4 scoreline and Tuchel's defence of his tactics. They also reported on the Cape Verde story and the final preview, with a balanced tone.
- “If you're going to have a game at the end, you might as well have a 10-goal thriller.”
- “A lot are still disappointed about the Argentina result, but this has gone a long way to sort of heal some of those wounds.”
5 News provided a brief, straightforward summary of England's win and the team's return home. The coverage was factual and concise, with no analysis or controversy. They also mentioned the Tate brothers' arrest, but the World Cup segment was short and positive.
- “To come in and for them to play like that, we're just so grateful that we got to see that.”
Channel 4 focused on the political and celebrity aspects of the World Cup, including Donald Trump's comments and the Americanisation of the final with a halftime show. Their match report was lively, describing the 6-4 win as a 'spectacular win or a missed opportunity'. They also covered the Cape Verde story and the final preview.
- “Considering it was a game neither team and few football fans were interested in, the bronze medal match between England and France may prove to be the game of the tournament.”
- “If that was the warm-up to the main event, tonight's final has a lot to live up to.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.