Englishman Jude Bellingham (10) shot the ball past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan (16) to score his sixth goal during the World Cup third-place match between France and England. (AP photo)
A historic evening for French star Kylian Mbappe ended in heartbreak, as England cruised to a 6-4 victory in a stunning third-place clash at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night.
While Mbappé cemented his status as a footballing immortal by becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, it was a thrilling hat-trick from Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham’s solo goal that earned England bronze.Although stars Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were initially on the bench, England broke down the French defense early to take a commanding 4-0 lead.
France, which is still suffering from its semi-final exit against Spain, seemed completely buried before its captain single-handedly brought it back into the competition.
Mbappe began the rescue in the 48th minute, cleverly firing a shot past Three Lions goalkeeper Dean Henderson. In the 66th minute, the 27-year-old achieved a historic moment. He met the ball inside the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from 14 yards to beat Henderson once again, taking his tally in the tournament to 10 goals – two more than Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
More importantly, the goal was his 22nd career World Cup goal, officially surpassing Messi’s previous record of 21 goals.Mbappe’s second goal brought the French team back from 4-3 down. However, England soon reasserted its dominance. The unstoppable Bukayo Saka completed a stunning hat-trick to preserve the Three Lions’ lead in a chaotic second half.France continued the pressure and reduced the difference to 5-4 through Dembele’s goal and threatened a dramatic draw. But Jude Bellingham, introduced as a late substitute, put the final exclamation mark on the game in the added minutes. The Real Madrid midfielder produced a stunning solo run, getting past several French defenders before slotting the ball home to seal a stunning 6-4 win. While England celebrated a thrilling end to their campaign, Mbappe emerged with a historic achievement wrapped in defeat.