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The soccer match that seemingly nobody wanted any part of turned out to be one of the most memorable games of the 2026 World Cup, as England defeated France 6–4 in Miami to claim third place, prompting Declan Rice to declare this was the finest Three Lions squad in recent memory.
Both coaches used the occasion to shuffle their starting lineups and give squad players World Cup experience, and England capitalized on French complacency with a breathtaking opening half that produced four goals.
Remarkably, considering his fitness and health struggles throughout the summer, Arsenal's Rice wore the captain's armband for the Three Lions. Rice consequently featured in all but one of England's World Cup fixtures, with Thomas Tuchel giving him a rest during their final group stage match against Panama.
Rice got England on the scoresheet on Saturday as they stormed to a 4–0 lead at the break. The sting of Wednesday's devastating semifinal loss appeared to have faded, even as France threatened an outrageous second-half comeback.
A bronze medal represents England's finest World Cup result in 60 years, and Saturday's skipper had some bold things to say after the final whistle.
Declan Rice Lays Down the Facts After England Finish Third
"This is the best England group for a very long time. That's a fact. No one can take that away from us," Rice told the BBC after securing third place.
The Three Lions have consistently made deep runs at major tournaments since 2018, with Sir Gareth Southgate credited with engineering a remarkable turnaround in form on the international stage following the embarrassing low point of their defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016.
England has since appeared in back-to-back European Championship finals and two World Cup semifinals, yet the quest for a major trophy continues.
"We're tired of saying we're proud of reaching semifinals and quarterfinals—ultimately, we want to win with England. But finishing third in this tournament is a genuine achievement," Rice added.
Prior to this summer, the Three Lions had reached only two World Cup semifinals since winning the trophy in 1966. On each occasion, they lost the third-place match and ended up in fourth.
Rice went on: "We're so close, honestly. There's been so much talk about this group over the last few years going out of tournaments. There's been semifinal exits, quarterfinals, finals...
"I think we need to keep going. I do think it's close. It's a game of small margins. It's football and the other night we lost on margins and in the boxes."
Euro 2028 on home soil now awaits this England side.
Thomas Tuchel Set to Continue as England Manager
The England boss faced heavy criticism for his handling of the semifinal loss to Argentina. The Three Lions were seen to have sat back after taking an early second-half lead, allowing Lionel Messi to operate freely for what proved to be far too long, making defeat all but certain.
Many labeled Tuchel's tactical timidity a "sackable offense," and BBC pundit Danny Murphy is among those who still believe the German should step down despite Saturday's entertaining win.
"[Tuchel] will keep his job, but I don't think he should," Murphy told BBC Sport (via ESPN). "He has failed. They are missing out on a World Cup final because of the tactics. They will be devastated."
Tuchel's assistant Anthony Barry said the England players entered the third-place playoff with "broken hearts." Some reports indicate that Tuchel's squad were frustrated with the German's tactical decisions in the semifinal, yet the FA are expected to maintain their confidence in Tuchel heading into the next major tournament cycle.
The Standard understands that the England manager will remain in his post following the World Cup.