Amazing Grace

England vs France, World Cup 2026

A superb 10 goal thriller for third place and the bronze medal at the FIFA World Cup.

At half time England appeared to be wiping the floor against a half-hearted France, leading them 4-0.

France swapped four players for the second half and came back full of danger with Mbappe all lights on for scoring.

By game’s end, after mighty runs and counter-attacks back and forth, it ended up being in England’s favour 6-4.

That final score included a brilliant goal from the late addition and new English legend Bellingham. An awesome three goals from Saka. Rice at midfield playing beautiful and crucial football to have opened the scoring for England and help them dominate in that first half. Each player carrying shadow narratives, respectively, of fiery misjudgment, missed chances and illness. Stories they transcended here.

And the Frenchman Mbappe, wow, scoring two for France to put him out front of Argentina’s Messi (for the time being) in the race to be the highest World Cup goal scorer of all time.

The lead in to this play-off for third place felt dispiriting and none-too-thrilling. But both England and France rose to the moment, exciting everyone and inspiring something else… an awakened sense of beauty and nobility about the game itself; the sporting purity of watching great players as they struggled and excelled, individually and as a team.

This World Cup has felt so choked by politics and ill will - much of it magnified online via so-called social media - it’s been hard to keep in mind the games themselves at all.

What a pleasure to see the respect on the field between France and England, and the respect and affection when it was over. What a pleasure to watch a game that was about the grace of the game itself.

“And after all you’re my wonderwall.”

- M