Mbappé extracts oil from a chaotic consolation final

BarcelonaFour goals in the first half and six in the second. Ten in total. The match for third and fourth place in the 2026 World Cup was chaotic, more like an exhibition match than a tournament that is supposed to be the highest expression of football on the planet. Because England went into the break winning no less than 0-4, but at times in the second half it seemed they could lose to a reborn France. In the end, the English ended up winning 4-6.

France lost, but the winner of this match was Kylian Mbappé, the only one who took it seriously for the entire 90 minutes. And it's that his teammates seemed to be playing without enthusiasm, still hungover from the painful elimination against Spain in the semifinals. Perhaps that's why Didier Deschamps made many rotations in the starting eleven, in attack and defense. But Mbappé did not rotate, because he had the opportunity to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. And he achieved it, at least provisionally – pending what Messi does in the final against Spain.

France's first half was one to forget. Little defensive intensity, absurd errors in midfield, and an England that had all the space and all the time in the world to face Maignan. It could well have been an American All-Star game, where defenses don't press and attackers score with ease. Thus, what was one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the tournament was made to look ridiculous, completely let down by his defense, conceding four goals. An early opener from Rice and later ones from Konsa and Saka (2).

The lead was so commanding that England became complacent. The complete opposite for France, who made changes at halftime. "It's not a question of tactics, it's a question of pride," said Didier Deschamps at halftime in statements to the French media. The coach was playing his last match as manager and was determined to go down fighting. So he brought out the firepower he had on the bench (Barcola and Dembélé came on) and took advantage of his opponent coming out to play at half-speed.

It can't be said that the game changed much, because it wasn't a clear dominance by France. Rather, it applied what Deschamps' team had historically done well: order at the back, recovery, and quick attacks. And so, all of a sudden, the French team started to create clear chances. The ball moved quickly, and just before the hydration break, Mbappé (2) and Barcola had scored three goals.

Tuchel reacted upon seeing that extra time was becoming a serious possibility. He shuffled his bench and brought on, among others, a Bellingham who would end up being decisive by running into space. With France desperately attacking, Saka managed to score the fifth English goal by converting a clumsy penalty committed by Malo Gusto. It was 3-5 in the 89th minute. Was it over? Not yet! The match still had a final surprise. In stoppage time, Dembélé narrowed the score (4-5), but in a very well-executed transition, Bellingham sealed the victory with a good individual play.

Mbappé, heading for the Golden Boot

France's complacency in the first half turned into rage at the end of the match, aware that if they had put in the effort earlier, things would have been different. But despite the defeat, one footballer left the pitch with a smile. It was Mbappé, who is close to winning the Golden Boot, the award for the World Cup's top scorer, thanks to his brace, which leaves him as the sole leader of the standings: he has scored 10 goals, two more than Leo Messi (8, pending the final). Furthermore, he is also the World Cup's all-time top scorer, with 22 goals, surpassing Messi in this record, who, for now, has scored 21.