Declan Rice becomes just the second Arsenal player to captain England at a major tournament

Declan Rice became just the second Arsenal player to start a major tournament game as England captain as he led his nation out in the World Cup third place play-off against France.

The Gunners midfielder followed in the footsteps of Tony Adams when he wore the armband to take the Three Lions to their best ever finish at the tournament since their only victory in 1966.

In a game that arguably didn't mean much competitively for either side, it was a brilliant personal milestone for Rice and a moment that could be a glimpse into the future of his international career.

Declan Rice becomes second Arsenal player to captain England at major tournament

Rice had been named as England's vice-captain for the 2026 World Cup, but was yet to start a game as skipper due to Harry Kane being one of the nation's star players, but his moment finally came in the third place play-off against France.

He joined former Arsenal captain Adams as the only other Gunner to begin a match at a major tournament and he marked the moment in perfect style as he opened the scoring for his side after just three minutes.

Picking the ball up near the halfway line, Rice darted towards the France defence and found the bottom corner as he beat Mike Maignan with a well-taken strike from almost 25 yards out.

The midfielder then grabbed an assist 15 minutes later when he swung a corner in for Ezri Konsa to head an effort into the back of the net.

Despite struggling with his fitness throughout the tournament, Rice managed to complete the full 90 minutes, wearing the armband for the entire time to etch his name into history as he helped his nation to their best ever World Cup finish since winning the trophy in 1966.

He first led England out as captain in a 2-2 friendly draw with Belgium in March 2024, becoming the 10th Arsenal player in history to wear the armband for the Three Lions and has since been followed by Bukayo Saka, who skippered the nation in a tournament warm-up game against Costa Rica.

Rice leading his country out on Saturday evening was a glimpse into his future as both a Gunner and as an England international. He has long been predicted to become Arsenal's next captain while the same has been said for the Three Lions.

With Harry Kane turning 33-years-old in a matter of days, fans know the Bayern Munich striker won't be representing the nation forever and many feel Rice will be the next to take the armband. At just 27, there is a feeling he could lead the Three Lions into several tournaments as the first Arsenal player to be permanent England captain since Adams between 1994 and 2000.

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