Danny Murphy was forced to apologise to BBC viewers during England's 6-4 victory over France in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off after commentator Steve Wilson called him out for banging his microphone on the desk in frustration.
The former Liverpool and England midfielder was on punditry duty alongside Wilson as England secured their best World Cup finish since 1966. Thomas Tuchel's side raced into a 4-0 half-time lead through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a brace from Bukayo Saka. After the restart, Saka completed his hat-trick before Jude Bellingham added a sixth in stoppage time, despite a determined French comeback.
Frustration Boils Over
As England missed further chances to extend their lead, with Saka and Bellingham both denied by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Murphy's frustration became audible. Wilson quipped: "Danny, people can hear you if you bang your microphone on the table!" prompting Murphy to apologise: "Sorry, sorry. It was either that or shout really loud."
The incident occurred during what initially looked like a meaningless play-off, but turned into a goal-laden spectacle. England had suffered a devastating 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, but bounced back strongly.
Saka Reflects on Campaign
Man of the match Saka, who arrived at the tournament with fitness doubts after helping Arsenal secure the Premier League title while battling injury, said: "Of course I'd love to have played a bigger part but it's too late for that. I tried to do my talking on the pitch but it's time to move on."
The 24-year-old declined to comment on criticism directed at England manager Tuchel, who faced mounting pressure to step down after Argentina's dramatic late fightback. Saka added: "I think it's just part of the game, when you win there will be noise and when you lose, it's about how you react to it and use it as fuel. We finished strong. We built and built across the tournament. We had some amazing results and in the end we fell short against Argentina. It hurts a lot to all of us but we have to hold our head high and focus on the next one."
