England Defeats France 6-4 to Finish Third in World Cup Thriller
Match Summary and Key Highlights
England's Dominant Performance
MIAMI, July 18 (Reuters) - England claimed third place at the World Cup by beating France 6-4 on Saturday, while Les Bleus' captain Kylian Mbappe became the tournament's all-time top scorer with 22 goals on coach Didier Deschamps' last game after 14 years in charge.
First Half: England Takes the Lead
• England scored four in the first half through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a Bukayo Saka double
Second Half: Saka's Hat-Trick and Late Goals
• Saka completed his hat-trick with an 87th-minute penalty
• Mbappe scored two, either side of Bradley Barcola's goal in the second half, to take his tally to 10 at this World Cup
• Ousmane Dembele netted France's fourth six minutes into stoppage before Jude Bellingham added a sixth for England
Individual Achievements
Kylian Mbappe's Record-Breaking Performance
• Mbappe leads the Golden Boot standings with two more goals than Argentina forward Messi
• The 27-year-old also leads Messi, who is preparing to play in Sunday's final against Spain, by one goal in the all-time World Cup scoring charts
Other Notable Records
• Michael Olise has a World Cup record of seven assists, ahead of Pele's six in 1970
France's Tactical Adjustments and Deschamps' Farewell
Defensive Changes
• France recovered from a shambolic start after Deschamps brought in Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne to reinforce a disoriented back four
End of an Era
• Deschamps leaves France after 185 matches
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Julien Pretot in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)
