England Opens 4-0 Halftime Lead Over France in 6-4 World Cup Play-off Win
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 19
England Opens 4-0 Halftime Lead Over France in 6-4 World Cup Play-off Win
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 19
Summary
Four first-half England goals left France facing its worst 45-minute defensive collapse since 1968 in the World Cup third-place play-off.
Declan Rice struck in the third minute, Ezri Konsa added another by the 18th, and Bukayo Saka scored twice before halftime as France looked flat and error-prone.
France supporters jeered the display and singled out Ibrahima Konaté after his pre-match remarks downplaying the game, with criticism intensifying as England dominated duels and transitions.
The match later turned into a 6-4 England win after France rallied through a Kylian Mbappé brace and a Bradley Barcola goal, but the first-half collapse defined the result.