England just did something they haven’t done since the Beatles were still together. The Three Lions claimed a bronze medal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating France 6-4 in Miami on July 18, marking their best tournament finish in 60 years.

The last time England stood on a World Cup podium was 1966, when they won the whole thing on home soil. Six decades of hurt, near-misses, and penalty shootout heartbreak later, they finally have another medal to show for it.

Ten goals, zero clean sheets, one unforgettable match

The third-place match delivered the kind of scoreline you’d expect from a Sunday league game, not a World Cup playoff between two footballing superpowers. Ten goals in a single match, with both teams apparently agreeing beforehand that defending was optional.

Bukayo Saka was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick that cemented his status as one of the tournament’s most dangerous attackers. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham also contributed to the offensive onslaught.

France, the 2022 World Cup runners-up, came into the match with their own potent attack. But four goals weren’t enough to overcome England’s six, and Les Bleus ended the tournament in fourth place.

A long road back to relevance

After winning the 1966 World Cup, England didn’t reach a World Cup semifinal again until 1990. The recent trajectory, however, tells a different story. England reached the European Championship final, finishing as runners-up. They made the 2026 World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1990. And now they have a bronze medal, their first piece of World Cup hardware in six decades.

France’s exit marks the end of an era

On the other side of the pitch, the fourth-place finish marks the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure as France’s national team coach. Deschamps led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and a runners-up finish in 2022, building one of the most successful managerial records in international football history.

France’s defensive vulnerabilities throughout the tournament were well-documented, and the bronze-medal match exposed them one final time. Whoever takes over from Deschamps will inherit enormous attacking talent but a clear mandate to shore up the back line.