Players from England and France put their on-field rivalry aside Saturday night to share a moment of unity in a prayer huddle shortly after their ten-goal World Cup third-place playoff match in Miami. Seven players from each squad stood together in a circle, bowing their heads in collective prayer on the pitch.
The gathering included England's Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick, Eberechi Eze, Trevoh Chalobah, and Marc Guehi, alongside France's Jean-Philippe Mateta, Maxence Lacroix, and Dayot Upamecano. The scene was widely shared on social media, drawing praise from fans.
This display of shared faith, though not common between opposing teams, highlights the role religion plays in professional football. Arsenal's Noni Madueke previously spoke about how he and his teammates pray together and study Bible scripture before matches, a practice he believes provides a significant boost and a sense of not being alone.
"We believe it gives us such a massive boost when we go on to the pitch, that we're not alone," Madueke said. "On the pitch we have got each other but we believe we have God fighting for us as well, so I feel like it's fantastic. It just brings us closer together."
Madueke also described pre-game rituals involving prayer and Bible study with teammates, emphasizing that these moments also serve as check-ins to ensure everyone is doing well.
In Miami, England ultimately prevailed 6-4 in the third-place playoff. The match saw England take a four-goal lead by halftime with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Saka. France staged a comeback with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola, narrowing the deficit. Although Ousmane Dembele scored late to make it 5-4, Jude Bellingham sealed England's victory with a solo goal, securing their best World Cup finish in 60 years.
The match marked Didier Deschamps' final game as the manager of France after 14 years at the helm.