Michael Olise makes history while England claim bronze in ten-goal Miami thriller
Bayern Munich and France star Michael Olise set a new record for assists in a single World Cup in the frantic encounter, which saw Bayern's Harry Kane lead England to their best World Cup finish since 1966 despite being an unused substitute.
France 4-6 England
Goals: 0-1 Rice 3', 0-2 Konsa 18' (assist: Rice), 0-3 Saka 37' (assist: Rashford), 0-4 Saka 45'+1 (assist: Eze), 1-4 Mbappé 48' (assist: Olise), 2-4 Barcola 54' (assist: Mbappé), 3-4 Mbappé 66' (assist: Olise), 3-5 Saka 87' (pen.), 4-5 Dembélé 90'+6 (assist: Upamecano), 4-6 Bellingham 90'+8
Leading up to this third-place playoff, both sides had suffered semi-final heartbreak — France falling 2-0 to Spain, England losing 2-1 to Argentina — and they were determined to end the tournament on a high.
Didier Deschamps took charge of Les Bleus for the very last time, making seven changes to his starting line-up, while Thomas Tuchel also rotated heavily, with Kane and Bellingham among those named on the bench. Declan Rice captained England in the absence of Kane, leading his side out for the first time in a major tournament.
Rice fires England into an early lead
England wasted absolutely no time in making their intentions clear. As early as the third minute, Rice capitalised on a poor misplaced pass by Désiré Doué, drove forward with purpose and unleashed a ferocious effort from 23 metres that flew into the bottom corner, leaving Mike Maignan with absolutely no chance.
France attempted a brief response, but England were firmly in the ascendancy, pressing high and looking dangerous every time they ventured forward.
Konsa and Saka put England in dreamland
The Three Lions continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with a second goal in the 18th minute. Rice whipped in a corner from the left and Ezri Konsa rose magnificently to head the ball into the bottom corner, with Maignan powerless once again. France were in disarray, and it only got worse.
In the 37th minute, a breathless passage of play involving Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka ended with the latter player slamming the ball into the net from 15 yards out to make it 3-0.
Saka double sends England in 4-0 up
Just when it seemed France might regroup before the break, Saka struck again in first-half stoppage time. Eberechi Eze played a wonderful through ball for Saka, who placed his shot precisely into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
England went into the dressing room with a stunning 4-0 lead, having been utterly dominant throughout the first half. France, by contrast, had offered precious little, with their youthful starting line-up failing to cope with the relentless intensity of Tuchel's side.
Mbappé and Barcola ignite a stunning fightback
Deschamps responded at half-time with four changes, introducing Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne. The impact was immediate and electric.
In the 48th minute, Michael Olise threaded a superb pass through to Kylian Mbappé, who finished coolly from nine metres to make it 4-1. France were suddenly alive. Six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, feeding Barcola down the left, and the substitute drove into the box before slotting past Dean Henderson to cut the deficit to 4-2 and get fans off their seats in Miami Stadium.
Mbappé makes it a one-goal game
France continued to press relentlessly and were rewarded again in the 66th minute. Mbappé combined brilliantly with Olise in a dazzling exchange on the edge of the area before firing low into the corner from 14 metres — his second of the evening and his ninth goal of the tournament.
There was now just one goal in it, and the atmosphere in Miami was absolutely feverish. Olise, meanwhile, had now registered his seventh assist of the competition, surpassing Pelé's all-time World Cup record for assists.
Saka seals it from the spot with a hat-trick
Tuchel responded by introducing Jude Bellingham and Elliot Anderson in the 79th minute, and the game continued to swing wildly. In the 85th minute, Djed Spence burst into the box and was brought down by Malo Gusto, with the referee pointing immediately to the spot. Saka stepped up and sent Maignan the wrong way to complete a magnificent hat-trick and restore England's two-goal advantage at 5-3.
Dembélé and Bellingham complete a ten-goal thriller
But the drama was far from over. Deep into stoppage time, Upamecano fed Dembélé on the right, and the former Borussia Dortmund forward drove into the box before curling a superb finish into the net from 13 metres to make it 5-4 six minutes into added time.
Just when it seemed France might complete an incredible comeback, England had the final say. Saka found Bellingham on the left: the substitute drove at Maxence Lacroix, cut inside and finished coolly from close range to seal a sensational 6-4 victory in what was a World Cup match for the ages.
