6-4! England claims its first World Cup third-place finish, achieving the second-best result in team history and securing its first victory over France in a major tournament in 44 years.

In the World Cup third-place match concluded on July 19 Beijing time, England defeated France 6-4, earning their first-ever bronze medal in the tournament and recording their best performance in nearly 60 years, while France finished in fourth place.

Since both teams had lost their semifinals, this match essentially became a "match for honor," and both sides made significant changes to their starting lineups. In the first half, England was clearly the more serious and focused team. The Three Lions, who had been heartbreakingly overturned by defending champions Argentina in the semifinals, seemed determined to wash away their shame with goals.

Only three minutes into the match, Rice opened the scoring with a long-range shot, then assisted Konsa with a header from a corner kick, and Saka scored twice, giving England a 4-0 lead at halftime.

After the break, France made four substitutions. With four key players on the pitch, the French team finally woke up. Mbappé scored twice, Barcola also found the net, and Saka converted a penalty in the 87th minute to complete a hat trick. In stoppage time, Dembélé and Bellingham each scored one goal for their respective sides.

With his brace in this match, Mbappé leads the tournament's scoring chart with 10 goals and also tops the all-time World Cup scoring list with 22 goals—a satisfying outcome for both teams.

In the end, England held on to win the match 6-4. This was England's first victory over France in a major international tournament in 44 years, with their last win dating back to the 1982 World Cup.

With this victory, England secured the third-place finish in this World Cup. Having participated in three third-place matches, they finally won for the first time. Previously, England lost to Belgium in 1990 and to Croatia in 2018, finishing fourth on both occasions. This bronze medal is England's best result in nearly 60 years, second only to their World Cup championship on home soil in 1966.

According to the World Cup prize distribution plan, England will receive $29 million, while fourth-place France will take home $27 million.