Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick saw England beat France 6-4 in a thriller to secure third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Saka sealed England’s highest Men’s World Cup finish since they won the competition in 1966 with a 87th-minute penalty, after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence.
Jude Bellingham further consolidated the result as he became England’s highest goalscorer at a single World Cup edition with his seventh goal, as he slotted a 98th-minute effort into the net.
Declan Rice fired England in front from his third-minute interception of Desire Doue’s pass, before Ezri Konsa doubled the Three Lions’ lead with a 18th-minute header.
Saka completed a dominant first-half performance with strikes in the 37th minute then first minute of first-half injury-time respectively.
Kylian Mbappe’s brace and Bradley Barcola’s finish offered France hope of a second-half comeback in Didier Deschamps’ final match as manager after 14 years at the helm of his country, whilst Ousmane Dembele struck in the 96th minute to snatch a consolatory goal.
Saka post-match told UK broadcaster, BBC that both teams were still deflated from their semi-final heartbreaks but iterated that the Three Lions wanted to achieve third to give fans their best finish since 1966.
“It was a crazy, crazy game. We’re both still quite disappointed to not be in the final but it was about finishing strong and for us giving the country the best finish in the World Cup in 60 years, so we’re happy with the final result.
“I think the first half went for us. We won the first half, they won the second half and in the end we got the two goals to win the game, so I’d say that’s how the game went.”
Following England’s horrific tactical collapse in their semi-final against Argentina through Thomas Tuchel’s blunders, he opted to make seven changes which quickly paid dividends as Marcus Rashford saw a second-minute shot deflected by Maxence Lacroix.
France failed to heed that warning as Doue a minute later gave away a timid pass which Rice duly intercepted and rifled low into the far-bottom right corner to put England ahead.
Rashford and Eberechi Eze saw further chances blocked in the opening eight minutes as France struggled to settle, until Rayan Cherki unleashed a 11th-minute shot which Dean Henderson calmly saved.
Saka seconds later pounced on a forward pass and slotted his shot into the far-bottom left corner but his goal was ruled offside.
Saka however proved instrumental to England’s second goal as his 18th-minute shot was deflected behind, which led Konsa to nod in Rice’s corner delivery to double their lead.
Kylian Mbappe curled a 22nd-minute shot wide before he saw another shot six minutes later ruled offside after Marc Guehi had cleared it off the line, whilst a low-angled curled 35th-minute shot was saved by Henderson.
England soon punished Mbappe’s wasteful end product once more as Rashford was unleashed forward to chase a long pass but exchanged shots with Saka, before he teed up the latter to slot into the net to put third place firmly within their grasp in the 37th minute.
Tuchel’s Three Lions subsequently found themselves four goals ahead at half-time, after Saka rifled Eze’s through-ball pass into the right corner in the first minute of injury time.
France manager, Deschamps in response made four substitutions at half time which sparked his side into life, as Michael Olise slipped Mbappe through to slot past Henderson in the 48th minute.
Mbappe’s ninth goal of the tournament ignited further life into the former two-time champions as Olise saw a shot saved and Adrien Rabiot rifled over the bar.
France however further reduced their deficit in the 54th minute after Mbappe fed Barcola forward to cut past Konsa with a shot into his near-left corner.
Ousmane Dembele and Olise saw shots blocked in the 57th minute by Henderson and Rice respectively as France continued to push forward.
Ivan Toney two minutes later almost halted the Les Bleus’ comeback with a header but Mike Maignan was alert to save his attempt.
France soon laid siege on England’s half which culminated in a series of one-two passes in the 66th minute between Mbappe and Olise, until the latter teed up Mbappe to slot in his 10th goal of the tournament.
Olise wasted two further close-range chances as France continued to toil for an equaliser to force extra time.
England though nearly prevented that prospect in the 80th minute as substitute, Jude Bellingham saw a shot blocked by Maignan, whilst Rogers’ follow-up shot was too blocked.
France’s hope of a late comeback equaliser eventually were extinguished in the 85th minute after Spence was slipped into the box, only to be brought down by Gusto.
Saka two minutes later stepped up and dispatched the penalty into the bottom-right corner to clinch third place for England, which marked their highest-placed finish since they won the 1966 edition and the first time that they had won the third-place play-off at the third time of asking.
Dembele however snatched a 96th-minute consolatory goal for France after he rifled into the left corner from Dayot Upamecano’s pass.
England however had the last laugh as Bellingham intercepted a loose ball and drifted out to the left, only to cut in and calmly slot into the net in the eighth minute of injury time.
The result also meant that this match was the first Men’s World Cup game this century to hit double-digits, and the first to do so since Hungary thrashed El Salvador 10-1 in 1982
What’s Next?
France turn their attention to the UEFA Nations League this autumn, beginning with a trip to Turkey on 25 September in a tough group containing Belgium and Italy too.
England too will be in UEFA Nations League action this autumn as they open their group-stage campaign against Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 26 September at 7:45pm BST, in a group which too contains Czech Republic and Croatia.
Teams
France: Mike Maignan, Malo Gusto (Kounde 91′), Ibrahima Konate (Upamecano 46′), Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernandez (Digne 46′), Warren Zaire-Emery, Adrien Rabiot, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki (Dembele 46′), Desire Doue (Barcola 46′), Kylian Mbappe
Substitutes: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Jules Kounde, Jean-Phillipe Mateta, Robin Risser, William Saliba, Brice Samba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Marcus Thuram, Dayot Upamecano
England: Dean Henderson, Jarell Quansah (James 83′), Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi (Chalobah 93′), Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze (Bellingham 79′), Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford (Watkins 46′), Ivan Toney (Anderson 79′)
Substitutes: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Dan Burn, Trevoh Chalobah, Anthony Gordon, Jordan Henderson, Reece James, Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Nico O’Reilly, Jordan Pickford, John Stones, James Trafford, Ollie Watkins
Referee – Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela)