Arsenal starboy Bukayo Saka stole the spotlight with a hat-trick as England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place play-off, securing their best World Cup finish since 1966.
The entertaining encounter also saw Kylian Mbappe surpass the tournament’s all-time scoring record.
Before kick-off, Thomas Tuchel received boos from sections of England supporters following criticism of his defensive approach in the semi-final loss to Argentina.
Despite resting Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham at the start, England attacked from the outset. Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa put the Three Lions two goals ahead inside 18 minutes, before Saka struck twice before half-time to give England a commanding four-goal advantage.
France mounted a spirited comeback after the restart. Mbappe scored twice to move past Lionel Messi as the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, while substitute Bradley Barcola also found the net to bring Les Bleus back into contention.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to restore England’s cushion. Ousmane Dembele reduced the deficit in stoppage time, but substitute Jude Bellingham wrapped up the victory with England’s sixth goal, ensuring Didier Deschamps ended his 14-year spell as France manager with defeat.
England wasted little time taking control. In the third minute, Rice intercepted a poor pass from Desire Doue, drove forward and fired a low strike into the far corner.
Dean Henderson then denied Rayan Cherki, while France were fortunate to see Saka’s well-taken finish ruled out for offside. England continued to threaten, and from the resulting corner after another Saka effort was deflected wide, Rice’s delivery was headed home by Konsa.
The Three Lions extended their lead again in the 37th minute. Marcus Rashford burst through from deep inside his own half before his effort was saved by Mike Maignan. Rashford reacted quickly to square the ball for Saka, who calmly finished.
Saka added his second just before the break, meeting Eberechi Eze’s perfectly weighted through-ball with another precise finish into the bottom-right corner.
Deschamps responded with four substitutions at half-time, but Mbappe remained on the pitch and pulled one back in the 48th minute with a left-footed finish to draw level with Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring charts while strengthening his lead in the Golden Boot race.
France continued their revival as Barcola blasted home six minutes later. Mbappe then struck again in the 66th minute after combining brilliantly with Michael Olise, taking his World Cup tally to a record-breaking 22 goals.
Olise missed two excellent chances to level the score, including one from close range. England then earned a penalty after Djed Spence was brought down by Malo Gusto, allowing Saka to confidently complete his hat-trick from the spot.
Dembele’s composed finish set up a tense finale, but Bellingham produced a determined solo goal to seal the bronze medal for England.
Mbappe reaches new milestone, but Saka shines brightest
Tuchel’s decision to switch to a back five after England went ahead against Argentina had drawn widespread criticism, and his insistence that he stood by the tactic appeared to frustrate many supporters in Florida.
Even after making seven changes to his starting XI, England dominated the opening half against an uninspired French side.
Rice finished with both a goal and an assist, becoming the sixth England player to achieve that feat in a World Cup match and the third to do so during the 2026 tournament, following Bellingham against Panama and Kane versus Mexico.
No team had previously recovered from a four-goal deficit to avoid defeat in a World Cup match, although France came close with their second-half resurgence.
Mbappe’s two goals moved him ahead of Messi in the World Cup’s all-time scoring standings, 22 goals to 21, while also increasing his tournament tally to 10, two more than any other player before Argentina’s final against Spain. He also became the first player since Gerd Muller in 1970 to score 10 goals at a single World Cup.
Despite Mbappe’s remarkable achievements, Saka claimed the match ball after becoming only the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match, following Geoff Hurst’s famous treble in the 1966 final.
Bellingham also reached a landmark, becoming England’s highest scorer across a single World Cup or European Championship with seven goals, before putting the finishing touch on an unforgettable contest.
