England finished third at the 2026 World Cup after beating France 6 to 4 in the third-place match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Bukayo Saka scored three goals for England in the high-scoring contest, leaving France fourth. Played on July 18, the match was a consolation fixture after both teams fell short of the final between Argentina and Spain.
The game also marked the end of Didier Deschamps’s 14-year tenure as France coach. Before the match, Deschamps stressed the duty to compete for a positive finish: “We do have a match for the third place playoff, and there’s a duty.” Kylian Mbappé was available, and Deschamps had said changes to France’s regular lineup were possible.
The result closed campaigns that had included high-profile knockout runs for both sides. France had lost only once in its previous nine meetings with England across all competitions, a November 2015 friendly. It had also gone unbeaten in its previous four meetings with England in official tournaments. England’s 6 to 4 victory ended that broader run of French success in the matchup.
The result gave the third-place playoff significance beyond the standings: it was Deschamps’s final match in charge of France. The national team’s coaching transition has drawn attention, with Zinedine Zidane set to succeed him, as detailed in coverage of the upcoming transition in French football.
Although the championship was no longer at stake, the match gave both teams a final chance to compete for a tournament placing. England’s four-goal margin in a 10-goal game made for a striking finish in Miami. The result secured third place for England and fourth for France.
