England 6-4 France: Rating the players as Three Lions secure best World Cup finish since 1966 | OneFootball

Bukayo Saka hogged the headlines in a deeply confusing England performance from which very few judgements should be made. But we’re gonna do it anyway…

The Three Lions secured their second-best finish ever at a World Cup with a 6-4 win over France in a game that was great fun but only emphasised what a nonsense occasion the ‘bronze final’ really is.

We can’t recall seeing a team less arsed than France were in the first-half when England ran amok. Then when France fancied it, presumably prompted by a rocket fired up their derrière by Didier Deschamps, they should have equalled England’s six-goal haul.

The feeling at half-time from many fans and pundits was utter frustration after watching England tear through France following their meek surrender to Argentina. But these were not comparable games. We’re really not sure what this was.

Anyway, here’s how we rated the England players…

Dean Henderson

One very good first-half save to deny Kylian Mbappe while the France star sought to pad his Golden Boot stats before Henderson played an important part in the third England goal. The Palace keeper, on his sixth cap, took a positive anticipatory step off his near post to block Rayan Cherki’s rasped delivery across goal, setting in motion the counter that sent Marcus Rashford in behind the highest defensive line seen at this or any World Cup.

Exposed for France’s four goals, around which Henderson made a few routine saves while Les Bleus created chances at will.

Jarell Quansah

Back from suspension to pocket Desire Doue – an achievement only tarnished slightly by the France winger popping himself in there before he was one of four hooked at half-time by Deschamps. Bradley Barcola was rather less submissive, the substitute’s burst leaving Quansah for dead when France halved their deficit.

Ezri Konsa

Shook off Adrien Rabiot’s half-arsed marking to head home his second England goal – one of the few times Konsa broke into something above a canter in the first half. His second half got off to a bad start when Konsa lost track of Mbappe for the France star’s first and was bamboozled by the link up between the World Cup’s highest-ever scorer and Michael Olise for the third.

Marc Guehi

Cruised through the first half and wasn’t responsible for any of the France goals, though he wasn’t around to effect any of them either. Which almost sums up a confusing World Cup for Guehi. He started as third-choice centre-back and finished as first-choice despite leaving many unconvinced. England’s best worst centre-back, as Gary Neville might say.

Djed Spence

England’s breakthrough player of the World Cup was perhaps the most comfortable of the back four, and rounded off his tournament by winning the penalty which allowed England some breathing space when they were being suffocated by France late on.

Might consider himself unfortunate not to be higher in this.

Declan Rice

Rewarded for making a start that must have burned what few bridges remained between Tuchel and Arsenal fans with the captain’s armband and an early goal that highlighted how unfussed France were. Rice intercepted Desire Doue’s poor pass just inside the French half before being allowed to carry the ball 30 yards to the edge of the box and shoot under no pressure whatsoever, becoming the first Premier League player to score for England at this World Cup.

Then followed an assist with what feels like his first decent corner since England’s opener against Croatia. When he removed his shirt upon the half-time whistle, perhaps Rice was attempting to manifest a substitution. But Tuchel rolled him out for the second half when, again, he looked absolutely knackered. Rice fell to the floor at the final whistle, seemingly a broken man, which is hardly surprising given this was his 69th game of 2025/26, racking up 5482 minutes in total.

Eberechi Eze

Played at the base of midfield, which was a piece of p*ss when France couldn’t give a f*** in the first half. Eze set up the fourth goal with a fine pass after a better turn to escape Warren Zaire-Emery, who would surely have done more to prevent it had he not been thinking about the beach he’s heading for. Once France woke up, Eze was a passenger.

Morgan Rogers

The £117million man started in the no.10 role but struggled to have an impact, even in all the space France afforded in the first half. His most tangible impact came once moved to the left when Bellingham came off the bench, with Rogers sending through the overlapping Spence to win a penalty. What does Xabi Alonso have in mind for him?

Bukayo Saka

With Saka starting alongside Rice, we have to assume that Tuchel hates Arsenal. Saka’s selection is marginally the funniest/most infuriating (delete as appropriate) given he wasn’t fit to start the semi-final but was suddenly fine for this nonsense affair. In keeping with such, Saka then helped himself to hat-trick, capitalising on France giving not a single f***  in the first half to score a brace before his only contribution of note in the second period was a penalty. For which, laughably, he remained on the field to take. Still, a fun way to end a wretched tournament for Saka.

Marcus Rashford

Given 45 minutes in his 24th tournament game for England – luckily the half in which France appeared to give not a shiny sh*te. Rashford had a good early chance blocked before he burst into the 80 yards behind the France defence to tee up Saka for his first, but only after the Barca cast-off wasted a one on one with Maignan. Prior to that, Rashford sought the goal of the tournament by nutmegging Zaire-Emery before unleashing one of his dippers that was well saved again by Maignan. So where next?

Ivan Toney

Standing in for Harry Kane, Toney failed to make contact with his only clear sight of goal just before the break after being teed up by Rashford. Which summed up the sharpness of a player who looks like he’s spent the last two years in an exhibition league.

Ollie Watkins (for Marcus Rashford, 46)

His first contribution was to lose possession to Upamecano, prompting the break that gave France and Mbappe their first goal. Looked poor in comparison to Rashford, largely because Malo Gusto decided in the second half not to work from home.

Jude Bellingham (for Toney, 79)

Should have had a goal within a minute of coming on but tried to walk the ball past Maignan. Then succeeded in doing just that in the last action of the game to secure the record of England’s highest scorer in a single tournament.

Elliot Anderson (for Eze, 79)

Hilarious that Tuchel left it so long before attempting to firm up his midfield.

Reece James (for Quansah, 83)

Had seven touches, none of which we can recall.

Trevoh Chalobah (for Guehi, 90+3)

Chalobah’s late cameo left the injured Mainoo as the only outfield player not to feature in the tournament. Still had time to be turned inside out by Ousmane Dembele.