Bukayo Saka scored a stunning hat-trick as England defeated France 6-4 in a dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off to secure the bronze medal…reports Asian Lite News Desk
England secured the bronze medal at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in a record-breaking third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday, as Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick inspired the Three Lions to a memorable finish to their campaign.
The 10-goal contest became the highest-scoring third-place play-off in modern World Cup history and also brought an end to Didier Deschamps’ 14-year spell as France manager with defeat in his final match in charge.
England made a blistering start and raced into a commanding 4-0 lead before half-time. Declan Rice opened the scoring after just three minutes before Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute.
Saka then took centre stage, scoring in the 37th minute before adding his second in first-half stoppage time to leave France facing an uphill battle. It marked the first time France had conceded four goals in a single half at a FIFA World Cup.
France responded with renewed purpose after the break following tactical changes by Deschamps.
Kylian Mbappe sparked the comeback with a goal in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit to 4-2 six minutes later. Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to bring France within one goal, piling pressure on Thomas Tuchel’s side as England struggled to regain control.
Mbappe’s second goal also saw him overtake Lionel Messi to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. The brace lifted his World Cup tally to 22 goals, one more than Messi’s 21.
With France pushing for an equaliser, England found a decisive breakthrough late in the game. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after England won a spot-kick on the counter-attack, restoring a two-goal cushion.
France refused to give up and Ousmane Dembele scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to reduce the deficit once again.
However, Jude Bellingham ended any hopes of another comeback when he found the net two minutes later, sealing England’s 6-4 victory and ensuring the Three Lions finished their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with the bronze medal.
The result also represented England’s best World Cup finish on foreign soil since 1966, with Saka’s outstanding display providing the highlight of a remarkable encounter that produced 10 goals and several historic milestones.
Saka Joins the Greats
Bukayo Saka said he was “very proud” to join an exclusive group of England legends after becoming only the fourth Three Lions player to score a World Cup hat-trick, capping a memorable individual display despite England’s disappointment at missing out on the final.
The Arsenal forward scored all three goals in England’s victory in Miami, finding the net in the 37th minute before adding a second on the stroke of half-time and completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot late in the second half.
The treble saw Saka become only the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match after Sir Geoff Hurst’s famous feat in the 1966 World Cup final. He also joined Hurst, Gary Lineker and Harry Kane as just the fourth Englishman to score a World Cup hat-trick.
The achievement also made Saka only the third England player to score three or more goals across two editions of the World Cup, joining Lineker and Kane.
“That was fantastic. It was enjoyable and an amazing achievement of course. I’ve just been told there’s only four players for England that scored World Cup hat-tricks, and you know who those players are as well. That is an elite list to be part of. It makes me very proud,” Saka said.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel praised the winger’s performance, saying Saka had delivered when it mattered most.
“He did everything right,” Tuchel said. “I just had a feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special. That was it. The games demand so much and we are forced into changes because of cramps and flow of the game. Bukayo showed he is a key player – that was never in doubt. I wasn’t even aware he had a hat-trick – I lost the overview of the goalscorers, but it is well deserved.”
England’s victory secured third place at the tournament after their hopes of reaching the final ended with defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on the campaign, Saka said the squad had shown steady improvement throughout the competition despite the disappointment of falling short of their ultimate goal.
“We built across the tournament, we had some amazing results,” said Saka. “We fell short against Argentina and it hurts a lot for all of us and I’m sure it’s the same for the fans back home. We have to hold our heads high and move on to the next one. It’s how you react and use it as fuel. Today we finished strongly. That’s all we could really do and we did it.”
While England were unable to lift the trophy, Saka’s historic hat-trick ensured he finished the tournament with a place in the national team’s record books, joining some of the country’s most celebrated World Cup goalscorers.
