Saturday in Miami gave us a spectacle for the ages, with England beating France 6-4 in a wild 10-goal match that felt less like a bronze-medal contest and more like a pickup game where both teams completely forgot defense was a thing. Seriously, this third-place game was, by far, the most entertaining game of the entire World Cup. Nobody parked the bus, nobody played scared, and with nothing “real” at stake, the handbrakes just came off.
History Made in a Defensive Free-For-All
The scoreline alone tells you what kind of game this was: a 10-goal circus! England’s Thomas Tuchel had spent the week getting absolutely torched for his conservative play against Argentina, but his now-liberated squad just dropped six goals on France. Talk about cruel for France fans. The talent was always there for England, but the fear? That was the question. History came fast in this one, too. Kylian Mbappé scored twice for France, giving him 10 for the tournament and an astounding 22 for his World Cup career, which is one more than Lionel Messi. For at least one day, Mbappé is the greatest goalscorer in the history of this competition. For England, Jude Bellingham notched his seventh goal of the tournament, making him the first England player to ever score seven at a single World Cup. He shattered Gary Lineker’s 1986 record of six and Harry Kane’s 2018 match of six. And Bukayo Saka, who was benched for the semifinal, answered all the doubters with a hat trick. You love to see that kind of polite revenge!
The Future is Absolutely Stacked for Both Nations
Both teams are leaving North America understandably upset about their semifinal results, but man, do they each possess a serious core of luxury talent heading into Euro 2028. Let’s start with France, because their future is just mouthwatering. Mbappé is only 27, he’s entering his true prime, and he just spent a month reminding everyone that his ceiling is “best player alive.” Désiré Doué is one for the future, even if he found it tough to get starts among all the generational talent around him. Their attacking core is arguably the youngest elite group on the planet, and it’s about to be handed to Zinedine Zidane, who’s expected to replace Didier Deschamps after his 14-year era ended. Conceding six goals to England is a rough farewell card for Deschamps, but the inheritance he leaves is otherworldly. If Zidane can pair that firepower with a proper defensive structure, France walks into Euro 2028 as the clear favorite.
England’s blueprint is just as clear, and for once, it’s genuinely hopeful. Whatever happens to Tuchel after the Argentina inquest, the next cycle absolutely builds itself around Bellingham, who’s only 23. He just broke a 40-year scoring record and is unmistakably The Man now. The torch didn’t just pass from Kane, Bellingham straight up took it mid-tournament. Declan Rice remains the midfield.
What a crazy game, right? Now, the real work begins for both squads. With Euro 2028 on the horizon, the question is: can Zidane mold France into an impenetrable force, and can Bellingham lead England to finally seize that major trophy? It’s going to be a wild ride watching them try.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Leave a Reply