England’s World Cup performance
England’s World Cup performance
England secured third place at the World Cup for the first time after a 6-4 victory over France. The match saw England take a 4-0 lead by half-time, with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Bukayo Saka. This achievement marks England men’s best World Cup result since their 1966 triumph and their best-ever finish on foreign soil.
The game, described as the highest-scoring World Cup third-place match ever, surpassed the 1958 encounter between France and West Germany.
Manager Thomas Tuchel made seven changes for the match, including resting Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, while Saka, who had been struggling with fitness, was given a starting role. Despite some initial boos from supporters when his name was announced, Tuchel expressed pride in his team’s efforts.
Dramatic second half
The second half saw a significant shift in momentum as France mounted a comeback. Kylian Mbappé scored two goals, and Bradley Barcola added another, narrowing England‘s lead. Mbappé‘s goals brought his tournament tally to 10 and made him the World Cup‘s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled. Ousmane Dembélé then curled home a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time, reducing the deficit to 5-4. However, Jude Bellingham scored his seventh goal of the tournament in the 98th minute, sealing England‘s 6-4 victory.
France had not conceded six goals in a World Cup match before, and it was the first time they had conceded six in any match in 66 years. The match featured 38 shots, with 20 on target, making it the highest-scoring World Cup match for England.
Reflections and future outlook
Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the pain of missing out on the final but hoped his players would eventually be proud of their bronze medal, the first for England in 60 years and their first on foreign soil. He revealed that Jordan Henderson delivered a pre-match speech that helped the team focus, stating, “He put us in the right frame of mind, with everyone in one mindset. It was unbelievable because today was very emotional. We built something very special in the last seven weeks, and we’ll never negotiate on that.”
Tuchel also emphasised the need for continued improvement, stating, “We still stand by my words, that we need to play better football, manage games better under pressure, take better decisions under pressure. We need to defend more economically.” He challenged his players to keep improving, with their next fixture being a Nations League meeting with Spain at Wembley on 26 September.
For France, this match marked the final game in charge for manager Didier Deschamps after 14 years. Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, expressed no regrets and described his tenure as “the most beautiful period of my life.” Zinedine Zidane is poised to take over from Deschamps.
Saka, despite his hat-trick, admitted disappointment at not having played more in the tournament, particularly after being an unused substitute against Argentina. He stated, “We fell short against Argentina. It hurts a lot. I’m sure it’s the same for the fans back home. We have to hold our heads high and move on.”
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Source: theguardian.com
As News GB's Senior Football Correspondent, Lewis Hartnell reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on south-coast football for a regional title. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Solent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Lewis lives in Southampton, where he watches youth football and follows the transfer market. “The week's training ground decides the weekend's headlines.”
