Deschamps bows out after France lose 10-goal bronze match
Telemundo Deportes reported that England beat France 6-4 for third place at the 2026 World Cup, ending Didier Deschamps’ run with Les Bleus.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Didier Deschamps’ final match with France ended in a 6-4 World Cup thriller, with England taking third place after what Telemundo Deportes described as a rain of goals.
The July 18, 2026 match gave England the bronze medal at the FIFA World Cup and left France with a painful send-off for its coach. In a postgame video published by Telemundo Deportes, Deschamps described his time with France as “a very beautiful adventure.”
Telemundo Deportes reported that Deschamps left with a bitter feeling after the defeat, especially because of the way England got on top of his team.
England strike early and keep coming
Telemundo Deportes’ match clips showed England building a commanding lead before France fought back. Declan Rice opened the scoring for England, according to the network’s coverage, before Ezri Konsa made it 2-0.
Bukayo Saka then pushed England further ahead, with Telemundo Deportes listing his finish for 3-0 and another goal for 4-0. The network also reported that Saka later scored from the penalty spot, punishing France again in a wild third-place match.
Jude Bellingham was credited by Telemundo Deportes with sealing England’s victory over France. Saka was named player of the match, and in a separate Telemundo Deportes clip, he said England won bronze because of how the team played in the first half.
France rally, but not enough
France did not leave quietly. Telemundo Deportes highlighted Kylian Mbappé’s role in the comeback, including a goal described by the network as historic in World Cup play.
The coverage also credited Mbappé with setting up Bradley Barcola for a France goal. Ousmane Dembélé later scored to make it 5-4, according to Telemundo Deportes, keeping France alive in a match that had already turned into a scoreboard sprint.
England still finished the job, taking the bronze in a 10-goal game that closed France’s tournament with a defeat and closed Deschamps’ time with Les Bleus.
Respect before and after the final whistle
The day also had its quieter moments. Telemundo Deportes showed Deschamps and England coach Thomas Tuchel embracing before the match, and later reported an emotional postgame embrace between English and French players after the third-place game.
Tuchel, in a Telemundo Deportes clip after the win, praised England’s mentality and the way the team overcame adversity.
For Deschamps, the final note was more complicated: a farewell framed by gratitude for the journey, but marked by a defeat in which England’s fast start and finishing power were too much for France to overcome.
This story draws on original reporting from TELEMUNDO.com.