Saka hat-trick powers England past France in 10-goal thriller

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The bronze-medal match tends to be one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. England manager Thomas Tuchel called it a fixture “nobody wants to play in” earlier in the week, but that didn't appear to be the case as the Three Lions and France battled in the highest-scoring third-place match in World Cup history, with England edging a wild 6-4 win

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A game of two halves

Declan Rice fired England in front almost instantly, curling a long-range effort from 25 yards beyond Mike Maignan. Désiré Doué's poor pass was intercepted to spark the attack, and it was a shot the France goalkeeper should have saved. Still, it was a much-needed goal for an England side heavily criticized for its collapse against Argentina in the semifinal.

Seemingly motivated to put all of that behind them, England's onslaught continued throughout the opening 45 minutes. Rice again played an important role in the 20th minute, with his inswinging corner finding Ezri Konsa, who expertly headed home to give England a 2-0 lead.

The Three Lions remained relentless, with a counterattack leaving Maignan helpless after he came off his line too early and left the goal exposed. After several attempts, Bukayo Saka was ultimately the beneficiary, smashing home England's third goal of the half. But the Arsenal star wasn't done yet.

Eberechi Eze played a perfectly weighted ball into the path of the pacey winger, who easily beat his defender before scoring another wondergoal. Tuchel's side went into the break seemingly with one hand on the bronze medal after thrashing France in the first half, but Les Bleus made a game of it over the final 45 minutes.

Kylian Mbappé scored almost immediately after the break, pouncing at the end of an effective counterattack to cut England's lead to 4-1. Bradley Barcola followed suit with another goal on the break before Michael Olise set up Mbappé with a beautiful assist to make it 4-3 and put England on the ropes. With the goal, Mbappe is now the World Cup's all-time goal scorer with 22. An incredible feat considering he's just 27.

Yet Olise would rue his own missed opportunities after failing to convert not one, but two chances in front of goal - including a sitter set up by Ousmane Dembélé that would have tied the game.

England made France pay at the other end. Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence in the box, handing Saka a penalty in the 87th minute. The Arsenal star coolly converted to give England what appeared to be a decisive 5-3 lead with just minutes remaining. But France continued to fight.

Dembélé took advantage of poor England defending to easily slot home France's fourth goal. In the end, though, the Three Lions' early advantage proved too much to overcome. Substitute Jude Bellingham delivered arguably the best goal of the match, dribbling past three defenders inside the France box before beating Maignan to ice a remarkable 6-4 win.

France v England: Bronze Final - FIFA World Cup 2026

The MVP

Where were these goals earlier in the tournament, Bukayo Saka?!

Saka has long been earmarked as a player with world-class potential, but injuries and inconsistency have largely kept him in the “very good” category. On Saturday, he scored a hat-trick - his first three goals of the competition - and went toe-to-toe with a determined Kylian Mbappé, who desperately tried to will France back into the match.

The poise Saka showed from the penalty spot, especially considering his history there with the national team, was massive. It could prove to be an exciting step forward for the 24-year-old, who is expected to play a major role in Arsenal's title defense this season.

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The big loser

The final whistle? This match was that good.

But on a more serious note, Mike Maignan - who has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs this summer - did not play well. There were at least two clear goals he should have saved, and was positionally awkward at times.

A honorable mention might need to go to Olise, who was excellent, but will regret the two chances he should have scored which would have given France their equalizer.

France v England: Bronze Final - FIFA World Cup 2026

Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐