France-Angleterre: “Qui a dit que ce match ne servait à rien?”, la presse européenne sous le choc après une folle petite finale de Coupe du monde

A true “thriller” is perhaps the most fitting description for the dramatic narrative that unfolded during the 2026 World Cup third-place match between France and England in Miami. Sky Sports, naturally, lauded the Three Lions’ sensational 6-4 victory, which secured them a bronze medal and their first World Cup podium finish since their 1966 triumph. However, it was the sheer spectacle of the entire game and its astonishing twists that left the media spellbound.

The Daily Mail echoed this sentiment, prominently featuring “Thriller” on its front page this Sunday morning. The English publication remarked on the “tennis score, not football,” inherently focusing on England’s exceptional performance. This was particularly significant after their semi-final elimination against Argentina, where they squandered a lead with less than ten minutes remaining. Notably, coach Thomas Tuchel faced jeers from some British supporters present in Miami for the bronze medal match.

Tuchel’s unexpected vindication

Journalist Craig Hope suggested that for Tuchel, this paradoxical victory served as a form of vindication, silencing the pre-match boos and the torrent of criticism that had followed the semi-final defeat. He wrote, “He delivers England their best World Cup result since 1966 – not quite the promised second star, but a first bronze medal.” It was, in his view, a case of “all or nothing,” and Tuchel delivered.

In France, two primary themes dominated the post-match analysis: Didier Deschamps’ farewell and Les Bleus’ utterly dismal first-half showing. Vincent Duluc, writing for L’Equipe, summarized the French team as “ridiculous then light to finish,” describing two “contradictory and crazy, equally unfathomable” periods, encompassing both a dizzying descent and an improbable comeback. Many struggled to dissect the performance of a France squad capable of both the worst and the best within 90 minutes, an epic match that ultimately left a bitter aftertaste.

Le Parisien characterized Les Bleus’ departure with a “dizzying final match” yet a “suitcase full of regrets.” The newspaper mused, “Football is a sport where any team can beat another and is played not with the feet but with the head. The French saw Miami, the city where Leo Messi maintains his dazzling health, but their thoughts were elsewhere, primarily on sadness, or rather, annihilation.” It was as if everything had shattered after their semi-final elimination against Spain, a match where Les Bleus failed to truly compete. It took a monumental effort to reignite the team, but it proved to be too late.

Le Figaro’s headline declared “Shame then revolt,” while Libération described an “entangled encounter” – a match that could make one tear their hair out. Ouest France, meanwhile, consecrated a “France-England World Cup of the extraordinary.”