France 4-6 England: Thomas Tuchel finishes third at World Cup but fans left scratching heads after bizarre tactical shift

England beat France 6-4 to finish third at the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, with Thomas Tuchel implementing a far more aggressive approach than in the semi-final against Argentina.

Declan Rice struck from distance to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead in the early stages of the match, before Ezri Konsa doubled their advantage before the 20th-minute mark.

Two Bukayo Saka strikes just before the interval ensured the Three Lions headed into the break with a 4-0 lead, though two goals from Kylian Mbappe and one from Bradley Barcola meant the French only trailed by one by the time the second hydration break ended.

France never found an equaliser, and though they did score a fourth, it was sandwiched between two more goals for England.

The result raises more questions than answers, as while Tuchel's side played without fear against Les Bleus, they were too timid in the earlier rounds of the competition.

England supporters will no doubt be left wondering whether a similarly open approach would have helped end 60 years of hurt, and they will have to wait four years to know if they will ever get a better chance to win a second World Cup.

France 4-6 England: Frantic third-placed playoff

The scoreline accurately reflected the frantic nature of the game, and there is an argument that England were slightly more ruthless than their opponents.

However, the match could have easily ended in victory for Les Bleus, who were caught asleep at the wheel in the first half.

Critics will argue that England's attacking performance came too late, and there is merit to that line of thinking, but the win was at least a welcome send off to the fans that had travelled across the Atlantic.

France 4-6 England: Too little, too late for Thomas Tuchel?

It is impossible to talk about England's historic triumph over France without mentioning the fact they failed to deliver that kind of performance earlier in the World cup.

The display of the Three Lions during their 2-1 loss to Argentina in the semi-final was concerningly passive, yet that team were unrecognisable against France.

Tuchel implied that his players instinctively retreated against Argentina, but he failed to help his side overcome their nervousness in that game.

England were almost perfect against France from an attacking standpoint, and many will be left wondering what could have been had the Three Lions been as attack-minded against Argentina.

France 4-6 England: Can England build on World Cup ahead of Euro 2028?

England will have to prepare themselves for Euro 2028, and they must learn their lessons from both their semi-final clash with Argentina and their clash with France.

The attacking bravery on display against the French should be used as a blueprint moving forward, though their defensive display should not be replicated.

In truth, it is hard to know whether England's defensive issues were due to structural issues or the nature of a low-stakes third-placed playoff.

Regardless of how much Saturday's game was influenced by the disappointment of the semi-final, Tuchel must realise that his side have the attacking talent to match the best nations in the world.

France 4-6 England: What next after the end of the World Cup?

France will embark on a new era with Zinedine Zidane, who is set to replace Didier Deschamps in the dugout.

England know that they will be competing at Euro 2028 given they are co-hosting the tournament alongside the Republic of Ireland, and Tuchel must devote all of his time, energy and resources into preparing for that competition.