England 6-4 France: Saka Hat-Trick Wins Bronze

Third-place playoffs are meant to be quiet. Nobody told these two. England and France served up a 10-goal storm in Miami, the bronze match ending 6-4 to the Three Lions, with Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick winning England a first-ever World Cup bronze — and Kylian Mbappé’s brace writing his name into the record books on the same afternoon.

What happened in England 6-4 France?

Chaos, mostly in England’s favour early. Declan Rice pounced on a misplaced French pass to score inside three minutes, Ezri Konsa headed in a Rice corner on 18, and Saka twice punished France before half-time — a rebound from Marcus Rashford’s effort on 37 and an Eberechi Eze through-ball finished on the stroke of half-time. At 4-0, it looked like a rout.

Then France remembered who they had. Mbappé side-footed home three minutes after the break, teed up Bradley Barcola for a second on 54, and finished a slick one-two with Michael Olise on 66 to make it 4-3 and set up a grandstand finish. Saka settled it from the penalty spot on 87, and after Ousmane Dembélé curled one in deep into stoppage time, Jude Bellingham had the last word with the game’s tenth goal in the 98th minute.

Why does England’s bronze matter?

Because they had never won one. England had finished fourth at the World Cup twice, in 1990 and 2018, losing both third-place playoffs. This is the first time the Three Lions have actually claimed the bronze medal, a small but real piece of history to soften the late semi-final heartbreak against Argentina. For Jude Bellingham and Saka it is a first senior medal, and for Thomas Tuchel a performance — if not a trophy — to take home.

What record did Mbappé break?

The biggest one there is. Kylian Mbappé’s two goals took him to 22 goals across his World Cup career, moving him past Lionel Messi’s mark of 21 to stand alone as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. At 27, with likely more tournaments to come, it is a record that could run a long way clear before he is done.

What does this mean for the Golden Boot?

It puts Mbappé in front going into the final. His brace took him to 10 goals for the tournament, clear of Messi on eight. Because France’s tournament is now over, that 10 is Mbappé’s final tally — and it means Messi must score at least twice in Sunday’s final against Spain to overtake him and win the Golden Boot. Saka’s hat-trick lifted him up the list too, while Bellingham’s late strike was his seventh of a standout tournament.

What was France’s problem?

The same one that cost them against Spain: they switched on too late. Deschamps rotated heavily with the final gone and an eye on tired legs, and France were 4-0 down before they found any rhythm. The second-half comeback — inspired by Mbappé and Olise, who leads the tournament’s assist chart — showed the attacking talent that carried them to the semi-finals, but the defending was nowhere near it. Beaten by Spain in the semi and now again here, France go home fourth.

Who plays in the World Cup 2026 final?

Spain against Argentina, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19. With the bronze settled, attention turns to the final between Spain and Argentina — and to whether Messi, one last time, can answer Mbappé and take the Golden Boot with him. For the full bracket, see our knockout guide.