With little on the line for either team, England manager Thomas Tuchel opted to rest his captain and top scorer Harry Kane, handing Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice the captain’s armband for the evening clash. The decision proved to be a masterstroke.

Rice wasted no time making his mark, netting England’s opener just two minutes and fourteen seconds into the game with a precise low shot into the bottom-right corner.

That strike marked England’s fastest goal in a competitive match since Luke Shaw’s early effort in the EURO 2020 final against Italy.

The Arsenal star continued to impress, delivering a superb corner that found Ezri Konsa, who headed home to double England’s lead.

In doing so, Rice became the first England player since David Beckham in 2002 to register two assists from corners at the same World Cup.

Fresh from a title-winning campaign with the Gunners, Rice also became only the second Arsenal footballer to captain England in a major tournament match, following in the footsteps of Tony Adams at EURO 1996, according to Opta.

Adding further delight for Arsenal supporters, Bukayo Saka joined the scoresheet next after a defensive mix-up from France. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was caught out of position, allowing Saka to slot the ball calmly into an empty net.

The England winger then doubled his tally right before half-time, sealing a first-half performance that left France in complete disarray.