Bukayo Saka scored a sensational hat-trick as England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday to clinch the bronze medal.
In one of the highest-scoring matches in modern World Cup history, France captain Kylian Mbappe scored a brace to overtake Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, despite Les Bleus ending the tournament with defeat.
The loss also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' remarkable 14-year tenure as France head coach on a disappointing note.
England took absolute control of the first half, leaving Les Bleus shell-shocked with an unprecedented 4-0 lead. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th. Saka then took centre stage, scoring twice in quick succession in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time (45+1').
It was the first time France had conceded four goals in a single half of a World Cup match.
France mounted a spirited fightback after the break. Mbappe pulled one back in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit further six minutes later. Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to make it 4-3, putting England under intense pressure.
However, England regained control in the 87th minute when Saka calmly converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick and take the score 5-3.
The drama continued in the stoppage time as Ousmane Dembele scored for France in the 90+6th minute to make it 5-4. However, England had the final say, with Jude Bellingham capped the scoring in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time. The goal was Bellingham's seventh of the tournament.
The match became the highest-scoring World Cup fixture since Hungary's 10-1 victory over El Salvador in 1982, while the 10 goals also set a new record for the most scored in a World Cup third-place playoff.
Mbappe reached 22 career goals, one more than Messi. The star striker finished this World Cup with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament's top scorer.
