Fans celebrate as England beats France for World Cup bronze

Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium became Miami Stadium for one last burst of World Cup color on Saturday as France and England met for the bronze final in front of fans dressed, draped and painted for both sides. Supporters of the two nations streamed toward the ground in Miami Gardens, turning the area outside the stadium into a bright, noisy gathering point on the final weekend of the 2026 tournament.

The third-place playoff carried a different energy from the knockout rounds that had come before it. FIFA framed the match as a chance at redemption for France and England after both had missed the final, and the stadium itself reflected that mix of disappointment and celebration: one last competitive game before Sunday’s championship match, with the bronze still on the line. Coverage of the buildup said tickets were still available, with resale prices starting around $3,400, a sign of how even the tournament’s consolation match had become a premium event in South Florida.

The scene around the venue underscored how the World Cup has turned U.S. host cities into temporary global public squares. Fans arrived in clusters wearing national colors, waving flags and creating the kind of pregame ritual that now defines major soccer events in the United States: singing, photographing each other, and building anticipation well before kickoff. In Miami’s July heat, that atmosphere carried added weight, with the city’s weather and the logistics of moving thousands of spectators around Miami Gardens shaping the day as much as the football itself.

On the field, England won 6-4 and Jude Bellingham sealed the result with a goal in added time, closing the match with a burst that matched the emotion outside the stadium. The scoreline gave England bronze and sent supporters back into Miami’s night with another reminder that the tournament’s final weekend had already delivered one more high-scoring, high-drama chapter before the final on Sunday.