Tawalk: England has begun to "narrow the gap"

Miami - AFP - England manager Thomas Tuchel said the Three Lions took their first step toward narrowing the gap with the top national teams after a thrilling ten-goal victory over France, securing third place at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Arsenal striker Bukayo Saco scored a hat-trick in the exciting 6-4 win under Miami’s heat, while French star Kylian Mbappe became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history after netting two goals to raise his tally to 22, one ahead of Argentina striker and captain Lionel Messi. Mbappe also increased his tally to 10 goals in the current edition, two ahead of Messi, before facing Spain in the final.

Tuchel spoke the eve of the match against France about the bitterness of England’s 1-2 semi-final loss to Argentina on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to close the gap with the reigning champions, as well as with France and Spain.

The German manager, who faced heavy criticism in the British media for his cautious approach against Argentina, said England had made progress with their win over France. He told the BBC: “We have the ability to narrow this gap, but they also have the ability to widen it again.”

He added: “I said the match was the first step toward narrowing the gap. We did that. We beat them. The next challenge will be against Spain in the Nations League.”

England and France played the third-place playoff without pressure, resulting in a ten-goal thriller that gave England their best finish in the tournament since 1966, when they won their only title to date.

This was the first time France conceded four goals in the first half of a major tournament. The French tried to turn the tide with Mbappe’s brace (48th and 66th minutes) and Bradley Barcola’s goal (54th), but Saco extinguished their surge with a penalty (87th minute). Olivier Giroud gave Les Bleus a final glimmer of hope (90+6), before Jude Bellingham dashed their dreams (90+8), raising his tally to seven goals in the World Cup.