Declan Rice
England and Arsenal midfielder; scored the opening goal of the 2026 bronze final.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Declan Rice opened a ten-goal World Cup record match; what does England's bronze mean for his midfield?
Timeline for Declan Rice
Opened the scoring from distance
2026 FIFA World Cup: England beat France 6-4 in record bronze finalMentioned in: Bellingham strikes late to sink Norway
2026 FIFA World CupTuchel Runs Two XIs in England's 1-0 Win
2026 FIFA World CupBackground
Declan Rice opened the scoring from distance as England beat France 6-4 in Miami's bronze final on 18 July 2026, the first World Cup third-place match to reach ten goals.
Rice joined Chelsea's academy at seven in 2006, spending eight years there before being released in 2014; he turned down a nearby offer from Fulham to join West Ham United's youth set-up instead. He joined Arsenal from West Ham United in July 2023 for a club-record £100 million, ending a spell in east London where he made 245 appearances and captained the club to the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League. Born on 14 January 1999, the defensive midfielder has now won 76 caps for England after switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland.
Thomas Tuchel rested Rice for the group-stage win over New Zealand as part of a wholesale two-XI rotation. By the bronze final he was back at the base of England's midfield, a fixture through a tournament that ended in third place rather than the title.
Who scored England's first goal in the World Cup bronze final?
How much did Arsenal pay for Declan Rice?
Why was Declan Rice rested against New Zealand at the World Cup?
What academy did Declan Rice come through before West Ham?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 September 2026. Editorial standards.