England beats France 6-4 to win World Cup bronze

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, carrying a Xinhua report from Miami, said England defeated France 6-4 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place match on Saturday, July 18, securing bronze. The report described the result as England’s strongest World Cup finish since their 1966 title and noted that the 10-goal match was the highest-scoring game at the tournament since 1982.

England built a commanding 4-0 advantage before halftime. Declan Rice scored early, Ezri Konsa added a header from a Rice corner, and Bukayo Saka struck twice before the break. France, despite starting players including Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Mike Maignan, were forced into changes at halftime by coach Didier Deschamps. England, by contrast, began with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Jordan Pickford on the bench.

France rallied after the interval. Mbappe scored from an Olise delivery, Bradley Barcola reduced the gap, and Mbappe added another after combining with Olise. Saka then converted an 87th-minute penalty to complete his hat-trick. Ousmane Dembele made it 5-4 in stoppage time before Bellingham sealed the match in the 98th minute.

The report said Mbappe’s two goals took him to 22 World Cup goals, putting him ahead of Lionel Messi’s all-time mark and two clear in the Golden Boot race. Bellingham ended the tournament with seven goals, described as a new single-tournament record for an England player. Deschamps accepted responsibility for France’s poor first half, while Mbappe said the defeat should not diminish the coach’s legacy.