World Cup 2026: England team is best for a long time
England secured a bronze medal at the 2026 World Cup after a high-scoring 6-4 victory against France in Miami. Despite missing out on the final, captain Declan Rice expressed pride in the team's performance and optimism for future tournaments.
Why it matters
The result marks England's best World Cup finish since 1966, signaling a significant achievement for the national team under manager Thomas Tuchel.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Declan Rice captained England in their 6-4 win over France in Miami
"This is the best England group for a very long time. That's a fact. No-one can take that away from us."
England's thrilling 6-4 win against France secured the Three Lions a World Cup bronze medal - their best finish since they won the trophy in 1966 - and left Declan Rice adamant major tournament success is "close".
Despite the criticism of Thomas Tuchel's tactics since their painful semi-final collapse against Argentina, stand-in captain Rice was quick to praise England's efforts at the tournament.
He added: "I think we can be proud as a group - we are just gutted we lost in that semi-final.
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