Saka Hat Trick Powers England Past France in Ten-Goal World Cup Thriller

England ended their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on a high by defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 18.

Bukayo Saka delivered the standout performance of the night, scoring a hat trick as the Three Lions secured their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966 and their best result at a tournament held outside England.

England made a blistering start, with Declan Rice opening the scoring in the third minute before Ezri Konsa doubled the lead in the 18th. Saka then struck twice, scoring in the 37th minute and again in first-half stoppage time to send England into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.

France responded with an extraordinary second-half comeback. Kylian Mbappé pulled one back in the 48th minute, Bradley Barcola added another six minutes later, and Mbappé scored again in the 66th to reduce England’s lead to 4-3.

With France pushing for an equalizer, England were awarded a late penalty. Saka converted from the spot in the 87th minute to complete his hat trick and restore a two-goal cushion.

Ousmane Dembélé kept France’s hopes alive with a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but Jude Bellingham sealed England’s victory two minutes later, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament to complete the remarkable 6-4 scoreline.

The ten-goal contest became the highest-scoring third-place match in World Cup history. It was also the first World Cup game to feature ten or more goals since Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 in 1982.

Despite France’s defeat, Mbappé made history by increasing his career World Cup total to 22 goals, moving ahead of Lionel Messi’s tally of 21 before Argentina’s final against Spain. The French captain also finished the tournament with ten goals, placing him at the top of the Golden Boot standings ahead of the final.

The match also marked Didier Deschamps’ final appearance as France head coach after 14 years in charge. England, meanwhile, recovered from their semifinal defeat to Argentina to finish the tournament on the podium and claim their first victory in a World Cup third-place playoff.