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'The most pointless game': Kevin Pietersen's shocking reaction after England beat France 6-4 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Third-Place Playoff

Kevin Pietersen called the FIFA World Cup third-place playoff "the most pointless game" after England beat France 6-4. Read more here.

Kevin Pietersen's reaction after England beat France 6-4 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff, calling it "the most pointless game."
Kevin Pietersen's reaction after England beat France 6-4 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff, calling it "the most pointless game."

Former England cricketer and commentator Kevin Pietersen shared his reaction after England defeated France 6-4 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff. Soon after the final whistle, Pietersen took to social media and described the match as "the most pointless game," sparking discussion among football fans.

His post quickly went viral, with many fans reacting to his opinion on the third-place playoff. Some agreed with Pietersen's view that the fixture has little significance, while others argued that finishing third at the FIFA World Cup is still an important achievement for the players and their countries.

England ended their World Cup campaign on a high by beating France 6-4 in an entertaining, goal-filled contest. While the match produced plenty of attacking football and goals, Pietersen's short but strong reaction became one of the biggest talking points on social media after the final whistle. 

Read his post here.

England beat France 6-4 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Third-place playoff

England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff in Miami to secure third place. The Three Lions produced a dominant attacking display, with Bukayo Saka scoring a brilliant hat-trick. Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and substitute Jude Bellingham also found the net as England recorded their best World Cup finish since winning the title in 1966.

England made a dream start as Rice opened the scoring in the fourth minute before Konsa doubled the lead from a corner. Saka then scored twice before half-time to give England a commanding 4-0 advantage. France fought back after the break, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding another goal to cut the deficit to 4-3 and set up a tense finish.

See also -'Argentina will play like France': Kevin Pietersen's bold FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final prediction goes viral

Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore England's two-goal lead, but Ousmane Dembele scored in stoppage time to make it 5-4. England had the final say as Jude Bellingham produced a brilliant solo run before scoring in the 98th minute to seal a memorable 6-4 victory. The win secured the bronze medal for England, while France finished fourth after an entertaining 10-goal contest.

Kevin Pietersen calls It "The most pointless game" — His full reaction here 

Kevin Pietersen shared his reaction on social media after England's 6-4 win over France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff. The former England cricketer criticised the fixture and questioned its importance after both teams had already missed out on a place in the final.

The former English batter wrote, "Watched the first 20min of that 3rd place play off game last night. Felt so sorry for the players. What an absolute waste of their time! The most pointless game in football! After all the emotion of losing a semi and then THAT game. Horror!" His post quickly went viral, with many fans sharing their opinions on the third-place playoff.

See also -Watch: 'They are heavyweights' — Sourav Ganguly predicts the winner of the FIFA World Cup 2026

Despite Pietersen's criticism, the match turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the tournament. England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling 10-goal contest, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham adding a stunning stoppage-time goal. The victory earned England the bronze medal and their best FIFA World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.

Fans react as England secure bronze medal in a match nobody wanted to play

Kevin Pietersen's comments sparked plenty of reactions on social media after England defeated France 6-4 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff. While some fans agreed that the fixture had little importance, others pointed out that the players looked happy and enjoyed the game.

One fan replied that the England players appeared to be enjoying themselves despite the match being a third-place playoff. Pietersen disagreed with that view, saying the players would rather have been relaxing on holiday than playing a game that did not decide the World Cup title. Hre is how the fans recated:

The debate continued online as fans shared different opinions about the value of the third-place playoff. Although many questioned the need for the fixture, England still celebrated a memorable 6-4 victory over France to secure the bronze medal and end their World Cup campaign on a winning note.

About the Author

Avijit Das
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Avijit Das

author · 1393 articles

Sports run in my veins and stories fuel my pen. With over 3 years in journalism — including stints at Sportskeeda, Cricreads, and Athlete Fortune — I’ve lived every word I’ve written. A Madrista at heart and a CR7 devotee, I fell in love with cricket because of one man — Virat Kohli. His passion for the game taught me to see cricket beyond the numbers. Currently writing for Cricket Winner, I cover match analyses, player stories, stats-based features, and cricket news updates. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me glued to tennis courts or boxing rings, living the sport from every angle.

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