Saka's Hat-trick Leads England to Bronze in World Cup

In a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off held on July 19, 2026, England edged out France with a score of 6-4. This victory marked England's first-ever bronze medal at a FIFA World Cup, improving upon their fourth-place finishes in 1990 and 2018.

England took an early lead, with Declan Rice scoring just three minutes into the match. By the 18th minute, Ezra Konsa had doubled the advantage, putting England up 2-0. Bukayo Saka scored the third goal in the 37th minute, and just before halftime, he added his second to make it 4-0 going into the break.

After halftime, France bounced back; Kylian Mbappé scored to bring the score to 4-1 three minutes into the second half. Bradley Barcola added another for France soon after, reducing the deficit to 4-2. Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute to bring the score to 4-3.

However, Saka converted a penalty shortly after, restoring England's two-goal lead at 5-3, completing his hat-trick. The back-and-forth nature of the match continued, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring in injury time to make it 5-4. Finally, Jude Bellingham sealed the win for England, finding the net at 98 minutes for the final score of 6-4.

Kylian Mbappé's two goals brought his total for the tournament to ten, making him the all-time top World Cup scorer with 22 goals. England’s historic victory not only highlights their incredible performance but also sets a new benchmark for future tournaments.