Former Ireland assistant manager Anthony Barry gave an incredibly emotional interview during England’s curious World Cup third-place play-off against France.
England went into the game still reeling from their semi-final exit to Argentina, but produced an impressive opening 45 minutes against a disinterested France to establish a 4-0 lead over their opponents.
Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa were both on the scoresheet, while Bukayo Saka struck twice as England took complete control of a typically subdued contest.
Despite the commanding scoreline, the game lacked much of the intensity normally associated with a meeting between two major rivals. Both teams were attempting to recover from the disappointment of falling short in the semi-finals.
Former Ireland Assistant Fights Back Tears During Emotional England-France Interview
Speaking at half-time, Anthony Barry was asked whether there was any frustration within the England camp that such an impressive performance had arrived in the third-place play-off rather than earlier in the tournament.
The former Ireland coach admitted that he was struggling to contain his emotions as he praised the players for representing their country despite their heartbreak.
I have to be honest, no frustration. I’m a little bit emotional. I can’t find the words to describe just how proud I am of these players. They’re playing a game with broken hearts.
I see 11 lads out on the field with broken hearts. I’ve seen them in the hotel the last few days with broken hearts.
For them to be able to build a performance like that just through the pride of playing for England, and the team spirit we’ve built over the last seven weeks, it has just been a privilege to watch.
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Barry also acknowledged that the performance would inevitably be greeted with questions over why England had not produced the same level when the biggest prize remained within their grasp.
However, he insisted that the quality of the opposition and the circumstances surrounding the game made England’s first-half display something worth celebrating.
Incredibly emotional interview with Anthony Barry last night at half-time. The assistant coach appears to understand far better than Tuchel ever will what our players were going through. They certainly did us proud, with two fingers up to defensive tactical BS for good measure. pic.twitter.com/WJ3A87QKAE
— Shahrar Ali (@ShahrarAli) July 19, 2026
I know what the cynics will say: ‘It’s too late’, but we’re still playing against world-class opponents. That 45 minutes, I’m so proud of the boys.
Of course, there are 45 minutes to go. The game’s not done and anything can happen, but, in isolation, I’m proud of the team and hopefully everyone back home is as well.
Barry’s warning that the contest was not finished would prove remarkably accurate.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice after the restart, while Bradley Barcola also found the net as France reduced the deficit to a single goal.
Saka subsequently completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, only for Ousmane Dembélé to score in the 96th minute and make it 5-4.
There was still time for one final moment of quality, with Jude Bellingham producing a brilliant individual run before scoring in the 98th minute to seal a bizarre 6-4 victory for England.
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