Rice fires England into early lead against France
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3'
Goal Declan RICE (England) scores!!
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18'
Goal Ezri KONSA (England) scores!!
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37'
Goal Bukayo SAKA (England) scores!!
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45'+1'
Goal Bukayo SAKA (England) scores!!
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48'
Goal Kylian MBAPPE (France) scores!!
France squad
- Selected
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2 Malo GUSTO Defender
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10 Kylian MBAPPE C Forward
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11 Michael OLISE Forward
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14 Adrien RABIOT Midfielder
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15 Ibrahima KONATE Defender
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16 Mike MAIGNAN Goalkeeper
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18 Warren ZAIRE-EMERY Midfielder
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19 Theo HERNANDEZ Defender
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20 Desire DOUE Forward
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24 Rayan CHERKI Midfielder
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26 Maxence Lacroix Defender
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1 Brice SAMBA Goalkeeper
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3 Lucas Digne Defender
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4 Dayot UPAMECANO Defender
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5 Jules KOUNDE Defender
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6 Manu KONE Midfielder
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7 Ousmane DEMBELE Forward
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8 Aurelien TCHOUAMENI Midfielder
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9 Marcus THURAM Forward
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12 Bradley BARCOLA Forward
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13 Ngolo KANTE Midfielder
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17 William SALIBA Defender
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21 Lucas HERNANDEZ Defender
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22 Jean-Philippe MATETA Forward
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23 Robin RISSER Goalkeeper
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25 Maghnes AKLIOUCHE Midfielder
England squad
- Selected
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2 Ezri KONSA Defender
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4 Declan RICE C Midfielder
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6 Marc GUEHI Defender
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7 Bukayo SAKA Forward
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11 Marcus RASHFORD Forward
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13 Dean Henderson Goalkeeper
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17 Morgan ROGERS Midfielder
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21 Eberechi EZE Midfielder
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22 Ivan TONEY Forward
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25 Djed SPENCE Defender
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26 Jarell QUANSAH Defender
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1 Jordan PICKFORD Goalkeeper
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3 Nico OREILLY Defender
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5 John STONES Defender
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8 Elliot ANDERSON Midfielder
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9 Harry KANE Forward
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10 Jude BELLINGHAM Midfielder
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12 Trevoh CHALOBAH Defender
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14 Jordan HENDERSON Midfielder
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15 Dan BURN Defender
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18 Anthony GORDON Forward
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19 Ollie WATKINS Forward
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20 Noni MADUEKE Forward
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23 James TRAFFORD Goalkeeper
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24 Reece JAMES Defender
- Full squad
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16 Kobbie MAINOO Midfielder
England's captain Declan Rice gave the side an early advantage against France in the World Cup 2026 third-place play-off, scoring in just the third minute at Miami Stadium. The goal set a positive tone for England early in a match that determines which nation finishes third at the tournament.
The fixture is part of the World Cup's closing stages, with England having missed out on a place in the final but still competing for a podium finish. Rice's strike came inside the opening three minutes, putting England ahead of France early in the contest.
In short
- Declan Rice scores after three minutes for England
- Goal came in the World Cup third-place play-off
- Match played against France at Miami Stadium
Explained simply
The World Cup's third-place play-off is a match between the two teams that lost in the semi-finals to determine which finishes third at the tournament. England and France are competing for this position after both were eliminated from contention for the final.
Declan Rice is England's captain and a key midfielder. England and France are among the world's most successful football nations – England won the World Cup in 1966, and France won it most recently in 2018.
The third-place play-off may not be the showcase final, but it still matters to the teams competing in it. A strong finish provides teams with a respectable result and a chance to salvage something positive from a World Cup campaign that fell short of winning the tournament.