Bukayo Saka scored a sensational hat-trick to lead Thomas Tuchel’s England national football team to a 6-4 victory over France, securing third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Miami Stadium.
The Three Lions took an authoritative hold on the game early, storming into a shocking 4-0 lead by halftime. Captain Declan Rice opened the scoring with a stunning 3rd-minute long-range strike, followed by an Ezri Konsa header and a brilliant first-half brace from Saka.
France mounted a fierce second-half comeback attempt. Kylian Mbappé made history by scoring twice to break the World Cup’s all-time tournament goals record, while Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also found the net.
However, Saka completed his hat-trick with an 87th-minute penalty, and Jude Bellingham added a late stoppage-time goal to permanently seal the podium finish for England.
The explosive victory provides a consolation prize for England following their painful semi-final loss to Argentina, while Didier Deschamps’ French squad leaves the tournament empty-handed.
Oluwagbemisola Babalola
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