Kylian Mbappe (PTI Image)
England kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a bronze medal after defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place match at Miami on Saturday. Speaking after the match, Mbappe admitted that France failed to keep pace with England in the first half, but he praised his team-mates after the break.“It was two completely different halves. During the first half, I can understand why some people thought we cheated ourselves and didn’t do it justice. I would say instead that we are human beings – and we can’t be. We were completely stunned, and they really shocked us. In the second half, we went back to being top-level players, mental machines. In the end, we didn’t win, which is a shame for the coach.” [Didier Deschamps].
We wanted to do something for him. The first half gives the impression that we let him down, which is not how we wanted him to feel at all. “This match will not tarnish Didier Deschamps’ legacy,” he said after the match, quoted on the FIFA website.
England were in complete control from the start and led 4-0 before half-time. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, before Ezri Konsa doubled the lead in the 18th minute. Bukayo Saka then scored two consecutive goals in the 37th and 45th +1 minutes, marking the first time that France had conceded four goals in one half of a FIFA World Cup match.
France resists, but England finishes the match strongly
France almost completed a brilliant comeback after the break. Mbappe scored two goals, while Bradley Barkola also scored to reduce the gap to 4-3. Mbappe’s brace also helped him surpass Lionel Messi to become the all-time top scorer at the FIFA World Cup with 22 goals.But England regained control late in the match. Saka completed his hat-trick from a penalty kick in the 87th minute, before Ousmane Dembélé scored for France.
Jude Bellingham then ensured a 6-4 England win with an injury-time goal.
The end of the Deschamps era
The defeat brought the curtain down on Didier Deschamps’ successful 14-year spell as France coach.Deschamps took charge of the national team in 2012 and led France to the 2018 World Cup title. He also led France to the 2022 World Cup final before his last campaign ended with a semi-final defeat to Spain and a fourth-place finish after losing to England.