Three goals for Bukayo Saka, a 9.9 rating for Kylian Mbappé, and a scoreline that kept lurching in different directions. England beat France 6-4 in the third-place match at Miami Stadium, and the main story was not the medal. It was how two elite forwards turned France vs England into a game that looked nothing like a routine consolation fixture.

England were 4-0 up at half-time before France’s second-half surge, which already tells you what sort of afternoon this was. Saka completed his hat-trick with an 87th-minute penalty, while Mbappé scored twice and still finished with the best individual rating on the French side. For a game that could easily have drifted, this one did the opposite.

Saka and Mbappé carried the headline

Saka’s three goals are the obvious starting point. The Arsenal winger was the clearest difference between the teams, and England needed that because this win was never as comfortable as 4-0 at the break should have made it.

He also had the biggest decisive moment late on. The third goal, from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, completed the hat-trick and settled the result in the third-place match after France had dragged the game back into danger.

Mbappé still made sure this was not just an England glow piece. Two goals and a 9.9 rating in defeat is a strong reminder of how much damage he can do even when the team around him is unstable. France lost, but Mbappé still owned long stretches of the game once they started playing with any conviction.

That is why this felt more like a star duel than a bronze-medal recap. Saka delivered the finishing that won it, Mbappé supplied the threat that kept the game alive, and the scoreboard kept moving because both attacks were much sharper than either side’s control.

Declan Rice deserves a mention too. His 9.3 rating underlined how much of England’s best work came from the middle of the pitch, not just from the front line. When England were good, they were direct and creative. When the game became loose, Rice still gave them enough structure to keep scoring.

France's collapse made the comeback believable

The wild part is that France still managed to make a contest of this after the break. England led 4-0 at half-time, yet France scored four in the second half. That alone explains why the game never settled into a procession.

France’s changes helped drive that swing. Didier Deschamps admitted responsibility afterwards, saying: "It was me who made a mistake. I should have made choices from the start of the match and things might have gone better afterwards." He also made four changes at half-time, which is about as clear an admission as a manager can make.

Adrien Rabiot was even more direct. Speaking to givemesport.com, he said: "We started the first half quite shamefully. I saw behavior from some players that I had never seen before. It's a bit disappointing, because it was the last match to do well in this competition."

France were at least better after the reset. Mbappé’s two goals drove the chase and Michael Olise added two assists, so the comeback had real substance rather than empty late pressure. But the first-half damage was too severe, and England always had enough quality left to land the next punch.

England's response after Argentina

There was a bit more edge to England’s performance because of what came before it. The loss to Argentina still hung over the squad, and the players were open about wanting a better finish.

Saka told express.co.uk: "I think it's just part of the game. When you lose, there's always going to be noise. When you win, there's going to be noise. It's how you react to it and use it as fuel. Today we finished strong. That's all we could really do and we did it."

That response matters, even if it does not erase the earlier disappointment. Harry Kane put it plainly: "I think [this win] just helps finish on a small high. Everyone is still going to be hurting once we come down from the win and the medal. They're still going to be processing why it happened and what we could have done better."

Thomas Tuchel pushed the bigger line after the game, calling it England’s best tournament in 60 years and their best tournament on foreign soil. Those claims can sit together, even if the wording around England’s broader placing will still be debated more than the actual match itself. On the day, the football was simpler than that: England scored six, France scored four, and Saka and Mbappé were the players everyone will remember.

FAQ

Why was England vs France more than a routine third-place match?

Because the standout story was individual quality and the sheer chaos of the game. England beat France 6-4 in the third-place match, Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, and Kylian Mbappé still produced a 9.9 rating with two goals in defeat. France also came back from 4-0 down at half-time to make the game swing again.

How good was Bukayo Saka against France for England?

Saka was the clearest match-winner in England’s 6-4 victory. He scored three goals, completing his hat-trick with an 87th-minute penalty in the third-place match. The performance fit the game’s main theme: England’s best attacking players did the decisive work in a wildly open contest.

Did Kylian Mbappé play well even though France lost to England?

Yes. Mbappé was still one of the game’s defining figures despite the defeat. He posted a 9.9 rating and scored twice, while Michael Olise added two assists to drive France’s second-half push. England won the match, but Mbappé’s numbers show he still dominated individually.

What did Adrien Rabiot say after France lost to England?

Rabiot was blunt about France’s first half. Speaking to givemesport.com, he said: "We started the first half quite shamefully. I saw behavior from some players that I had never seen before." He added that France showed more pride after the break, when they scored four times and nearly turned the game.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 11 outlets. How we work →