It was a match to inflate numbers and aim for records, and it did not disappoint. Miami witnessed the highest-scoring game among the 103 played in the World Cup. England took the bronze after a great first half in which France did not show up. The French reaction in the second half served to add excitement and for Mbappé to achieve his double scoring objective. With a double to make it 3-4, he extended his lead in the Golden Boot (10 goals, two more than Messi) and became the top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals (one more than Leo). The final is still missing.
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Perhaps the only one who was not happy was Didier Deschamps, who could not end his 14-year tenure leading France with another World Cup podium finish. However, he avoided what could have been an embarrassing defeat in his farewell. His team was losing 0-4, which would have been his worst result in the 187 matches on the bench of les bleus, surpassing a 3-0 loss in Porto Alegre against Brazil back in 2013.
Terrible first half for France
Tuchel, thanks to Rice, Saka, and Bellingham’s last goal, leaves Deschamps without a win in his farewell
On his last day, the French coach changed the entire defense and also made a significant tweak in his attack by benching Dembélé. Meanwhile, Tuchel did the opposite of his counterpart: he rested his goalkeeper Pickford to debut Dean Henderson from Crystal Palace, kept the defense, but from midfield forward only Declan Rice and Rogers repeated, with the latter playing as an inside midfielder rather than a winger. In other words, the German dispensed with Kane and Bellingham, his two best players (6 goals each).
He didn’t need them at the start because Rice was enough. He scored the first after stealing the ball, advancing, and shooting with power and placement, and he won the corner that led to the second, a header by Konsa.
Because France was already in Paris or had their minds on vacation. What started as an initial lapse worsened into total negligence due to the lack of desire on the bleu side. The low tension was evident as the bleeding did not stop and more goals came thanks to Saka, who took advantage of two good passes from Rashford and Eze.
At halftime, Deschamps’ anger was so obvious that the coach made four substitutions right away. Four starters came in (Dembélé, Barcola, Upamecano, and Digne). Among those who left was Konaté, the Real Madrid signing, very out of place.
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It soon became clear that France was a different team. The reaction was tremendous. Upamecano, who is not one to joke around, won a duel against Watkins, who was still in the locker room, and broke down the wing. When he was almost in the area, he had the presence of mind to pass the ball to Olise, who, on the ground, assisted Mbappé. This time, with his left foot, he scored and added his ninth goal in this edition to become the sole leader in the Golden Boot race.
But the Madrid player not only scores but, five minutes later, created a through pass underneath behind the advanced English defense for the run of the speedy Barcola, who did not miss.
England could not believe the transformation of their rival and found no way to stop the French storm, absolutely wounded in their pride and to whom everything was going right. And everything was a wall pass between Mbappé and Olise, who returned the ball in the area with a first touch and the outside of the foot so that the top scorer reached double digits in this edition (22 in total) and brought his team within striking distance.
If there was no extra time, it was because Olise, who is a wonderful footballer and has surpassed Pelé’s assist record in the 1970 World Cup, did not have his tournament in finishing. Twice, in excellent positions, he missed the chance for a 4-4. And because, in the middle of the offense, Malo Gusto committed a penalty on Spence. Bellingham handed the shot to Saka, who beat Maignan and scored a hat-trick.
France still wanted to add excitement through another goal by Dembélé until Bellingham treated himself to sitting Lacroix down and outsmarting Upamecano to score the sixth and give England their best finish in 60 years, since they won their World Cup.
