BREAKING: Bukayo Saka Scores Hatrick As England Defeat France To Win 3rd Place At 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Genius Media Nigeria reports that England has officially clinch third place after 10 goal thriller with france.
England achieved their second-best finish ever at the World Cup as Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick helped hold off a France comeback and win an unexpected thriller in the third-place play-off in Miami.
Declan Rice’s long-range effort in the third minute prefaced Ezri Konsa doubling the Three Lions’ lead with a header 15 minutes later and Saka striking twice before half-time.
Kylian Mbappe slotted in twice to reach 10 goals at the 2026 edition – moving two goals clear of Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the leading marksman in the top scorer standings – either side of the Bleus captain setting up Bradley Barcola to fire in.
Those goals meant the 2018 champions had reduced the deficit to 4-3 by the 66th minute of a breathless and frequently end-to-end encounter, but Michael Olise missed a presentable opportunity before Saka completed his treble with a penalty.
Ousmane Dembele curled in his sixth goal of the finals from inside the box in the 96th minute, only for Jude Bellingham to dance through a crowd of players and smash in his seventh of the tournament to ensure England, who rested top scorer Harry Kane, took bronze.
