FIFA WORLD CUP Hat-trick for Saka as England take bronze in chaotic playoff
MIAMI – England secured their finest World Cup finish in 60 years after an extraordinary, record-breaking 6-4 victory over France in the bronze medal third-place playoff at a sold-out Hard Rock Stadium.
In what will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the games of the tournament, Thomas Tuchel’s side blew Les Bleus away in a rampant first half before withstanding a ferocious Kylian Mbappé-inspired comeback in a nine-goal, second-half rollercoaster.
The 10-goal spectacle set the record for the highest-scoring third-place playoff in World Cup history, surpassing all expectations for a fixture often dismissed as an unwanted, unloved consolation match.
England looked determined to erase the heartbreak of Wednesday’s semi-final defeat to Argentina. It took just three minutes for stand-in captain Declan Rice to open the scoring, ruthlessly punishing a loose pass from Désiré Doué. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead in the 18th minute, nodding home a corner from Rice.
Then began the Bukayo Saka show. The Arsenal winger, surprisingly unused in the semi-final, played like a man with a point to prove. He struck in the 37th minute and added a clinical second in first-half stoppage time, converting a superb assist from Eberechi Eze to send England in with a remarkable 4-0 lead.
France boss Didier Deschamps made four substitutions at the break and was rewarded with immediate dividends.
Captain Mbappé spearheaded the French resistance, flicking a neat finish past Dean Henderson in the 48th minute. When Bradley Barcola swept home France’s second six minutes later, English nerves began to rattle.
Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute, unleashing a powerful left-footed strike to drag France to within a single goal at 4-3.
With his brace, Mbappé reached 22 career World Cup goals, officially surpassing Lionel Messi’s career tournament record. The strikes also took his tally to 10 goals for this campaign, putting him firmly in the driving seat for the Golden Boot ahead of Sunday’s final.
As France pushed everyone forward, England broke away in the 86th minute, earning a crucial penalty. Saka stepped up to drill it home, securing his second career hat-trick for the Three Lions and temporarily restoring breathing room at 5-3.
Still the drama was far from over. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Ousmane Dembélé cut inside to whip a brilliant effort into the far corner, pulling it back to 5-4 and ensuring a grandstand finish.
The definitive word, however, belonged to England’s generational talent. In the 98th minute, substitute Jude Bellingham took the ball from the halfway line, danced past a flurry of French defenders inside the box, and slotted home his seventh goal of the tournament with the final kick of the game.
No England player has scored so many in one finals campaign.
England had lost both their previous third-place playoffs, in 1990 and 2018. So this was their best finals finish since the 1966 triumph.
Defeat marked a bittersweet, historic farewell for Deschamps after a 14-year tenure as France manager.
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