Kylian Mbappé officially became the leading goalscorer in World Cup history, absolutely smashing the record with 22 goals to his name, but even that historic feat couldn’t save France from a wild 6-4 defeat to England in the World Cup match for third place on Saturday. Talk about a gut punch for France, especially since this also marked Didier Deschamps’ final game as coach.
England came out like a freight train, completely steamrolling France in the first half to build a staggering 4-0 lead. Declan Rice wasted no time, finding the net just three minutes into the match, and Ezri Konsa doubled that lead in the 18th minute. But Bukayo Saka, man, he was just on another level, bagging a brace before halftime. France looked lost, and England just kept pouring it on. Who would’ve thought this was for third place, right? It felt like a title fight with how one-sided it was early on.
Then, things flipped, like totally flipped after the break. You gotta hand it to France, they didn’t just roll over. Mbappé pulled one back for his side in the 48th minute, giving them a glimmer of hope, and then Bradley Barcola hammered another home in the 54th, cranking up the pressure big time on England. And just when you thought the drama couldn’t get any crazier, Mbappé delivered his record-breaking strike in the 66th minute, making history with 22 World Cup goals. He’s now one goal ahead of Lionel Messi, who’s got his own massive game coming up. France showed incredible fighting spirit, but completing that comeback? Turns out it was just too much to ask.
England, though, had answers. Saka scored a penalty in the 87th minute, sealing a hat-trick for himself and putting England back in control. Even Ousmane Dembélé’s goal for France in the sixth minute of stoppage time wasn’t enough to stop the tide. Substitute Jude Bellingham then hammered the nail in the coffin, ensuring England secured their best-ever World Cup finish since they actually won the whole thing way back in 1966. It was a hell of a way for Deschamps to bow out, too, after 14 years, leading France to the 2018 title and the 2022 final. What a run, denied a third straight final after losing 2-0 to Spain in the semis. Meanwhile, England got bounced 2-1 by Argentina, the title holders, in their semi-final.
So, France goes home with a historic Mbappé record but a tough loss, and Deschamps rides off into the sunset. Now, the big one is still to come. Can Lionel Messi add to his legacy? He plays for the title on Sunday against Spain. You absolutely don’t want to miss that one!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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