FIFA World Cup 2026: Harry Kane calls England's bronze medal finish a "Positive" ending
London, July 19
England captain Harry Kane described the team's World Cup finish as a positive ending, congratulating Bukayo Saka for his hat-trick and thanking fans for their support.
He added that the squad will now take time to rest and recover after the tournament. England secured the bronze medal in the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating France 6-4 in a breathtaking, record-breaking 10-goal thriller at the Miami Stadium on Saturday (local time).
Saka's magnificent hat-trick overcame Kylian Mbappe's brace and powered the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish on foreign soil since 1966.
"A positive way to end this World Cup. Congrats @BukayoSaka87 on a brilliant hat-trick! Thank you to everyone who has supported us here and at home. Time for a rest and a break," Harry Kane wrote in an X post.
England took absolute control of the first half, leaving Les Bleus shell-shocked with an unprecedented 4-0 lead before the interval. Declan Rice opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute.
Saka then took centre stage, netting twice in quick succession (37', 45+1') to mark the first time France has ever conceded four goals in a single half of World Cup football.
However, the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Facing his 187th and final match in charge of France, manager Didier Deschamps rang in tactical substitutions at halftime that sparked a furious French resurrection.
Mbappe led the charge, striking in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola added a second just six minutes later to make it 4-2. When Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to bring France within one goal, England looked completely rattled under relentless waves of attack.
Notably, with his second goal, Mbappe created history by overtaking Lionel Messi to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. The brace took Mbappe's World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him one clear of Messi's 21.
Just as the game seemed to be slipping away from Thomas Tuchel's men, England found their relief. A late counter-attack resulted in an 87th-minute penalty, which Saka calmly converted to complete his hat-trick and restore breathing room at 5-3.
The drama spilt deep into stoppage time as Ousmane Dembele clawed one back for France in the 90+6th minute, but Jude Bellingham put the final exclamation point on the historic night, scoring in the 90+8th minute to seal the extraordinary 6-4 victory for England to cap their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on a high.
— ANI
Reader Comments
6-4? That's like a cricket scoreline in football! 😄 Bellingham's 98th-minute goal must have sent shivers down French spines. Kane's right to call it positive - they didn't win the big one but bronze is respectable. Though I think England got lucky in that first half; France's second-half fightback was pure class.
As an Indian who follows European football closely, I can say this was probably the most entertaining World Cup match I've ever seen. Saka's hat-trick was special, but Mbappe becoming the all-time World Cup top scorer is a bigger story. Messi's record finally broken - history was made in Miami! 🏆
Respect to Deschamps for his final match in charge - that halftime tactical change nearly worked magic! France went from 0-4 to almost equalizing. England's defense in the second half was terrible though, they need to work on that. Kane's leadership is solid, but I'm not sure this bronze really feels "positive" after being 4-0 up.
Absolutely electric match! But let's be honest - England should have won the World Cup with that squad depth. Bronze is nice, but Kane and co. will be thinking "what if?" Mbappe's record is incredible though - 22 goals in World Cups! We Indians know something about celebrating legendary records, and this one deserves a chaat party of applause! 🙌
Watching from India, I couldn't believe the second half. England choked badly - that 4-0 lead should have been safe. Saka saved them with
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