England’s 6-4 win over France in a wild 10-goal thriller marked the country’s best finish at the FIFA World Cup since they won it in 1966, with players now offering their reactions to the dramatic and eventful tournament.
A hat-trick from Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka and a late goal from World Cup 2026 star Jude Bellingham helped the Three Lions get over the line and secure a thrilling win against tournament favourites France.
French star Kylian Mbappé also picked up two goals in the game, which made him the tournament’s top scorer.
Following the result, players have shared their thoughts on the win as well as the heartbreak they suffered against Argentina in the semi-finals.
Kane backs Tuchel
With many fans calling for the sacking of manager Thomas Tuchel, striker Harry Kane has openly given his backing to the coach.
Kane explained to Sky Sports: “He’s a big reason why we are here. He’s a big reason why we claimed our highest finish in 60 years.
“There are a lot of ‘what ifs?’ after the other night and it’s going to take time to process it.
“For him as well. Just because he is one of the best coaches in the world, doesn’t mean he is going to get it right every time.
“The players on the pitch are the same. We all make mistakes and we have to try and improve.
“The fans have the right to be angry. I think Thomas knew more than anyone when he took the job it was going to be high pressure and high stakes.
“He nearly took us all the way and he didn’t. People are going to try and place blame, that’s part and parcel of our job.
“I think he needs time to process it all. It’s been a crazy journey. A lot of ups and obviously the one big down.
“It’s his first tournament as well. He’s learnt from the players, the pressure, the environment, the travelling.
“That will only make us better for the future.”
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Saka wanted more
After putting three past France, Saka explained how he would’ve liked more game time during the World Cup.
He told the BBC: “Of course, I would love to have played more.
“But of course, it’s not the time to talk about that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It’s done now. Move on.”
Tuchel acknowledged this but stated that he thought Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers would be a better fit for the Argentina game.
The German said in a press conference: “He did everything right.
“I had just a feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special. That was it.
“The [Argentina] game was so in demand that we were forced into changes because of cramps and flow of the game.
“Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt.
“I was not even aware he had a hat-trick [against France]. I lost the overview of the goalscorers.”
Praise from Rice
Declan Rice also took the opportunity to share his thoughts, saying that the World Cup squad was the best England side in a long time.
The Arsenal man was able to wear the captain’s armband for the first time in the tournament against France as regular captain Kane sat on the bench.
Speaking to the BBC, Rice claimed: “This is the best England group for a very long time. That’s a fact. No-one can take that away from us.
“I think we can be proud as a group. We are just gutted we lost in that semi-final.
“We’re tired of saying we’re proud of coming in semi-finals and quarter-finals. We want to win with England, ultimately.
“But to come third in this tournament is a real achievement.
“We’re so close, honestly. There’s been so much talk about this group over the last few years going out of tournaments.
“There’s been semi-final exits, quarter-finals, finals.
“I think we need to keep going. I do think it’s close. It’s a game of small margins.
“It’s football and the other night, we lost on margins and in the boxes.”
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No Tuchel regrets
England boss Tuchel admitted he takes full responsibility for the loss to Argentina but has no regrets over his tactics for the game.
Tuchel stated: “I view them in the same way: we were too passive.
“I don’t regret my decisions, because I felt that we became too passive.
“I felt that the momentum switched in the match and I tried to help my team. I tried to support.
“I took several decisions, trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience, trusting my competitiveness.
“And I took the decision in order to help the team and get the result.
“We didn’t get the result, so I take, of course, the responsibility for these decisions.
“But the decisions are made under stress, the decisions are made in-game. This is in-game live coaching.
“I would regret it if I didn’t help. I would regret if we didn’t react. But I have no regrets over the decision itself.”
Emotional assistant manager
In a half-time interview during the third-place play-off, England’s assistant manager Anthony Barry showed the emotions carried by the country, sharing his pride in the players.
The Three Lions were 4-0 up at that point as he admitted to the BBC: “There’s no frustration. I’m a little bit emotional.
“I can’t find the words to describe how proud I am of these players.
“They’re playing a game with broken hearts. I see 11 lads on the field with broken hearts.
“I’ve seen them in the hotel the last few days with broken hearts, and they can build a performance like that through pride of playing for England.
“The team spirit over the last seven weeks has been a privilege to watch.
“I know what the cynics will say – ‘it’s too late’ – but we’re still playing against a world-class opponent. And that 45 minutes, I’m so proud of the boys.”
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