England 6-4 France World Cup Third-Place Match Review: Three Undeniable Facts, Mbappe’s Low-Value Golden Boot, Controversial Gameplay, and Deschamps’ Farewell

In the thrilling third-place playoff of the Canada-Mexico-America World Cup, England and France staged a stunning goal feast. England defeated France 6-4 to claim the third place of the tournament. With a total of 10 goals in a single match, this game set a new historical record for the most goals in a World Cup third-place match. Looking back at the whole contest, three undeniable facts have sparked heated discussions among football fans worldwide after the game.

1. Kylian Mbappe Is Set to Win the Least Valuable Golden Boot in World Cup History

In the previous World Cup final, Kylian Mbappe delivered a sensational performance, outshining Lionel Messi to claim the Golden Boot, a legendary moment with extremely high gold content. In this edition of the World Cup, Mbappe tops the scorer list with 10 total goals, far exceeding Messi’s 8 goals.

In the upcoming final, Argentina will face Spain, a team with a solid and comprehensive offensive and defensive system. It is extremely difficult for Messi to score two or more goals in this tough final. This means Mbappe will almost secure the World Cup Golden Boot thanks to his brace in the third-place match.

However, this Golden Boot is widely regarded as the least valuable in World Cup history by fans and football professionals. On the one hand, the expanded tournament format has brought more matches and uneven competition levels. On the other hand, most of Mbappe’s recent goals came from the controversial third-place fixture. Compared with the outstanding performances of previous Golden Boot winners, his goal record lacks sufficient competitiveness and credibility.

2. The Historic 10-Goal Record Hides a Controversial “Ugly Performance”

While the 10-goal thriller set a new World Cup record for third-place matches, the gorgeous statistical achievement covers up a bizarre and controversial game process, which has been criticized by fans as a deliberate and uncompetitive show.

France, the former World Cup champion and runner-up, looked completely out of form in the first half. The team showed sluggish offense and flawed defense, trailing England 0-4 at halftime and setting a record for the biggest halftime deficit in World Cup third-place match history. The underwhelming performance of the top-tier French side was unbelievable.

The game took a weird turn in the second half. England, holding a huge lead, suddenly relaxed its offensive and defensive intensity, conceding three goals in just 20 minutes to let France narrow the gap. The two sides finally ended the game 6-4 in an awkward, low-competition atmosphere. Lacking intense confrontations and professional tactical competition, the whole match was far from a high-level World Cup showdown.

3. Legendary Coach Didier Deschamps Ends His World Cup Journey With Regret

This third-place match marked Didier Deschamps’ final World Cup game as France’s head coach. Although both teams claimed to attach little importance to the third-place trophy before the match, this game meant a lot to Deschamps. He aimed to lead France to victory to complete a rare World Cup grand slam, having won the championship and runner-up in previous tournaments, and wrap up his legendary World Cup coaching career perfectly.

Deschamps’ anxiety was obvious on the sidelines when France fell behind heavily. He kept adjusting tactics and motivating players, proving he was the most eager for victory in the whole team. Unfortunately, France failed to reverse the situation due to poor overall form and disjointed offense and defense.

With this defeat, Deschamps missed the chance to complete his World Cup grand slam. The iconic French coach bid farewell to the World Cup stage with regret, leaving a touching and unforgettable ending to his brilliant international coaching career.