Declan Rice sets a new record in English history: Surpassing Kane and Beckham

England national team and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice not only contributed to the victory in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off but also wrote a new chapter in the country's football history. In the match against France, which turned into a 6-4 goal fest, Rice captained the side and managed to surpass legends like Harry Kane and David Beckham. This is reported by Goal.com reports.

In this match held in Miami, Declan Rice opened the scoring in the 2nd minute and later provided an assist for Ezri Konsa's goal. According to the BBC, Rice became the first England player to both score and assist in his World Cup captaincy debut. While captains like Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, and Harry Kane had recorded goal contributions in their debuts, only Kane came close to Rice's achievement by scoring twice against Tunisia in 2018.

Historical results and the joy of victory

For Declan Rice, this match marked his 80th appearance for the national team. His goal at 2 minutes and 14 seconds was recorded as the second-fastest goal in England's World Cup history. The record in this regard still belongs to Bryan Robson, who scored against France in 1982 after just 27 seconds. Thomas Tuchel's team effectively decided the fate of the match by scoring four unanswered goals in the first half alone.

Additionally, Rice became the 14th player to captain the England national team in World Cup matches. He joined the ranks of legends like Bobby Moore and Billy Wright on this prestigious list. Since manager Thomas Tuchel made seven changes to the starting lineup for the third-place play-off, the captain's armband was entrusted to the Arsenal star in place of the rested Harry Kane.

The bitter truth behind the victory

Although a bronze medal was secured, Declan Rice did not hide his slight dissatisfaction with the team's overall result during the interview. According to him, the England national team is tired of simply being "proud" of quarter-final or semi-final appearances. "We are tired of saying we are proud of reaching the semi-finals. We want to win with England in the end," the midfielder emphasized.

The player admitted that the defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals is still painful. In his opinion, the team is getting very close to major victories, and only small details are preventing them from winning the championship. England assistant coach Anthony Barry also spoke about the players' mental state, acknowledging that they took the field with "wounded hearts" but were still able to show determination.

This victory allowed England to end the 2026 World Cup on a positive note. The team's young and experienced players, particularly leaders like Declan Rice, have once again proven that they are ready to fight for the top prize in future tournaments.