England players were warmly praised for their actions right after getting the bronze medal trophy.
England and France put on an exciting 10-goal show in the third-place playoff, with England’s Three Lions taking home the bronze medal. But what really caught people’s attention was what Thomas Tuchel’s team did right after their win — it earned them lots of praise.
The Three Lions looked like they had the game in the bag early on, leading 4-0 by halftime thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Bukayo Saka. But France fought back hard in the second half, scoring three times in 20 minutes. Bradley Barcola’s goal came between two from Kylian Mbappe, making it 4-3 and bringing the game back to life.
There was still plenty of action left, with Saka scoring a hat trick from the penalty spot, Ousmane Dembele making it 5-4 for France, and then, in the 98th minute, Jude Bellingham sealed the win for England.
After the game, as England’s players received their bronze medals, you could see several of them calling out to Jason Steele to come up and get his medal too. Steele, the 35-year-old Brighton goalkeeper, didn’t play in the tournament but was part of the squad as the backup keeper. His teammates made sure he was included, with Morgan Rogers and Bellingham leading the invitation and Jordan Henderson handing him the medal.
Fans loved this moment on social media, praising the team’s close bond and spirit. One fan said, “This is seriously beautiful. Including the backup keeper, Steele-san, in the medal ceremony with everyone shouting ‘Come on!’ really showed the team’s connection. It was the most heartwarming thing. RESPECT!” Another shared, “Every time I watch the part where they call Steele, I get tears. You can feel that even those behind the scenes are part of the fight—it’s such a moving sight.” Someone else added, “Seeing moments like this really shows that being a ‘team’ isn’t just about the players.”
Winning the bronze was a big deal for England, too. This was the first time the Three Lions finished third in the World Cup after coming close but losing to Italy and Belgium in 1990 and 2018. The win also means a nice financial bonus, thanks to the bigger prize fund for this World Cup. England will take home £21.5 million for third place, while France will get £20 million for fourth.
This prize money could change how fans feel about playing for third place since it helps support football’s growth in the country.