There are dead rubbers, and then there is this. England, perhaps nursing the sting of a semi final exit, have turned the third place play off into a s...
There are dead rubbers, and then there is this. England, perhaps nursing the sting of a semi final exit, have turned the third place play off into a showcase of sheer, unadulterated brutality. At the half time whistle in this World Cup 2026 clash, the scoreboard reads a staggering 4 0 against a France side who simply have not turned up. It is not just a lead; it is a statement.The tone was set before many had even found their seats. Declan Rice, a player often lauded for his metronomic work in the middle third, decided to put the French goalkeeper to work from distance. Two minutes on the clock, a strike that screamed past the despairing dive, and England were off to the races. It was the kind of start that fractures a game plan before it has even truly begun. Then came the set piece routine that ripped the French low block to shreds. Rice, again the provider, delivered a corner with such venom and precision that Ezri Konsa could barely miss. 2 0. Game management England had abandoned the concept entirely.The real joy, however, was reserved for Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal man, a perpetual thorn in the side of any defence, was in full flight. His first was a poacher's finish, the hallmark of a winger who understands the geometry of the penalty area. His second, which completed his brace before the interval, was a moment of pure clinical finishing that left the French defenders looking at each other in bewilderment. At 4 0, this is no longer a contest. It is a public execution of a team that has bottled the occasion spectacularly. What can Didier Deschamps possibly say in that dressing room that hasn't already been screamed by the silence of his playersEngland's tactical flexibility tonight has been a masterclass. They have mixed direct transitional play with calm possession, suffocating France in their own half and then striking with venomous pace. The question now is simple: can they keep the intensity Or will they take their foot off the gas and invite a sliver of French pride back into the game For the neutrals, this is a demolition of the highest order. For the English fans, it is a bitter sweet reminder of what might have been in the final. But for one half of football, they have been utterly unplayable. Squeaky bum time is over. This is party time.
