England defeat France 6-4 to claim World Cup third place, Saka hat-trick highlights match

England secured a 6-4 victory over France in the World Cup third-place match in Miami, marking the nation’s best finish since its 1966 triumph. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice opened the scoring early, and defender Ezri Konsa added a second before the half-hour mark. Bukayo Saka then netted three times, completing a hat-trick that included a penalty, while France’s Kylian Mbappé scored twice, the second of which made him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals.

France, who had lost to Spain in the semifinals, made several tactical changes at halftime, introducing Ousmane Dembélé, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne and Bradley Barcola. Mbappé’s first goal of the second half put him ahead of Lionel Messi in the tournament’s Golden Boot race. France reduced the deficit further through Barcola, but England responded quickly, with Bellingham scoring England’s seventh World Cup goal, a record for an English player.

"The first-half display was catastrophic," French coach Didier Deschamps told French television.

England’s manager Thomas Tuchel, who omitted Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from the starting lineup, praised his side’s performance after the win. The result sets up a final between Argentina and Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.