France secured third place with a 2-0 victory over Germany on Sunday, led by Kylian Mbappe’s 50th international goal and a key assist. The French captain was the standout performer in a match full of tension and VAR drama.
Mbappe opened the scoring just before halftime in the 45th minute, finishing brilliantly from a well-timed pass by his Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni. The goal marked a major milestone for Mbappe, who continues to be France’s biggest attacking threat.
With only six minutes left on the clock, Mbappe made another impact — this time as the creator. Capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Robin Koch, he delivered a smart pass to Michael Olise, who scored with ease into an open goal to double France’s lead.
Germany had several opportunities but couldn’t convert. A penalty initially awarded to Karim Adeyemi was overturned by VAR after it determined he had dived, earning him a yellow card. Another blow came when Deniz Undav’s goal was disallowed due to a foul by Niclas Füllkrug in the buildup.
Despite some promising attacks, Germany was denied by France’s solid defense and goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who made key saves — including three from Adeyemi. Florian Wirtz hit the post, while France could have added more to their tally as Marcus Thuram’s curling effort also struck the post and Mbappe missed a few chances, one of which was saved by Marc-André ter Stegen.
Germany, led by coach Julian Nagelsmann, ended their run without a win in their last three matches, including a semifinal defeat to Portugal. France, who had lost 5–4 to Spain in the semifinals, ended their campaign with a strong performance and a well-deserved win.
