Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa Put England Ahead 2-0 Against France
England took a commanding 2-0 lead over France at halftime in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place match at Miami Stadium on Saturday. Goals from Declan Rice in the 3rd minute and Ezri Konsa in the 18th minute put the Three Lions in control of a game neither team wanted to play.
Both France and England entered the tournament as title favourites but fell short in the semi-finals. France lost 2-0 to Spain, while England lost 2-1 to Argentina after taking an early lead. The third-place match offers little consolation but provides a stage for individual honours, including the Golden Boot race.
England started aggressively, with Rice opening the scoring from long range in the 3rd minute. Bukayo Saka thought he had doubled the lead in the 11th minute but was ruled offside. England continued to press, and in the 18th minute, Rice's corner found Konsa, who headed powerfully into the net.
France struggled to create clear chances, though Kylian Mbappe showed flashes of brilliance. In the 22nd minute, he shot wide, and in the 28th minute, he had a goal disallowed for offside after Dean Henderson made a save. Les Bleus looked disjointed, unable to string passes together against a well-organised England defence.
The Golden Boot race adds intrigue: Mbappe and Lionel Messi both have 8 goals, with Messi ahead on assists. England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have 6 each and could still surpass them with strong second-half performances.
