Bukayo Saka produced a sensational hat-trick as England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place play-off to secure bronze at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions bounced back in emphatic fashion after their heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina, putting in a commanding display to record their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.
England stormed into a four-goal lead before halftime, with Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa scoring early before Saka struck twice to leave France with a mountain to climb.
France mounted a spirited second-half comeback, reducing the deficit with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola. Mbappe’s brace also saw him move ahead of Lionel Messi to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals while taking the lead in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Saka restored England’s two-goal cushion in the 87th minute, calmly converting a penalty after Djed Spence was brought down by Malo Gusto inside the box to complete his hat-trick.
Ousmane Dembele scored deep into stoppage time to make it 5-4, but Jude Bellingham capped off the remarkable contest moments later with a brilliant solo effort in the 98th minute, sealing a memorable 6-4 victory for England.
Bellingham finished the tournament with seven goals, the highest tally ever recorded by an England men’s player at a single FIFA World Cup. The victory also gave England their best-ever World Cup finish outside home soil and set a new record for the highest-scoring third-place match in the competition’s history.
