The World Cup 2026 third-place match started with boos from the stands and closed with a bronze medal for England. Interspersed was a breathtaking score chase with 10 goals, one of the most emotional matches in World Cup history.
Throughout the first half, the French team almost showed no determination to play. Didier Deschamps' team entered the break with 4 goals conceded, after an unbelievably lackluster performance, clearly reflecting disappointment when having to play the third-place match.
However, everything changed completely after the break. With Kylian Mbappe as the leader, France rose up strongly, continuously exploiting gaps in the England defense and narrowing the gap to one goal when there were still more than 20 minutes left in the match.
However, Bukayo Saka completed a hat-trick from the penalty spot before Jude Bellingham made his mark with a classy solo, sealing a 6-4 victory for the "Three Lions". This is also the best achievement of the England team at the World Cup since the 1966 championship.
No coach can be completely satisfied with a match where his team conceded 4 goals. But for Thomas Tuchel, this victory is enough to close the World Cup with a positive mark, especially after the fierce criticisms he had to endure for the defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals.
This is the first medal in 60 years, the most successful World Cup for England on foreign soil. I hope the players will be proud of it in the future" - Tuchel shared.
He also emphasized that the most important thing after the defeat is the reaction on the pitch: "The disappointment after the match against Argentina is very great. But the best thing you can do is stand up and win the next match. We did that and I am very satisfied with the reaction of the whole team.
The bronze medal awarding ceremony took place in a somewhat quiet atmosphere. French players quickly left the field, while England players received medals and took souvenir photos with emotions mixed with joy and regret.
That may not be the match that any team wants to participate in. But with 10 goals, breathtaking chases and a series of memorable moments, the World Cup 2026 third-place match will certainly be mentioned as one of the most entertaining confrontations in the history of the tournament.
We had an unacceptable first half. Although everyone then reacted well and had two chances to equalize 4-4, but everything was too late. It was my fault, I certainly didn't do what was necessary in the first half.
Finishing in third place would be better. But not being able to do it is also okay because we have done quite a lot of positive things. The French team has had the opportunity to create emotions for tens of millions of football fans. This is the World Cup, nothing is more beautiful than that" - coach Didier Deschamps said after the match.
