England forward, Bukayo Saka, has etched his name in the history by becoming the fourth England player to score a hat trick for the team in the the history of the World Cup.
Saka made the feat after scoring thrice during the Three Lions’ 6-4 win over France in the Third Place match of the ongoing competition to help his team claim third, and bronze medal, to mark the end of their involvement in the tournament.
By doing so at the Miami Stadium yesterday and securing the Man of the Match Award, the Arsenal man joins Harry Kane, Gary Lineker and Geofe Hurst in the mix, the latter, who became the first player to notch the achievement, coincidentally, against France in 1958.
In a broader point, Saka became just second from the nation to achieve the feat in the knockout stage of the competition, after Hurst.
The winger had the whole France half to himself amid a sharp breakaway. He was initially denied by opposition goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, but eventually scored from a follow-up after being teed up by Marcus Rashford.
The Arsenal winger then doubled his tally in stoppage time, finishing a smart through-ball from club team-mate, Eberechi Eze, with an angled left-foot strike and then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled in the box by Malo Gusto.
Other history maker during the game was Kylian Mbappe, who scored a brace to become the Frenchman imto hit double figures at a men’s World Cup since Gerd Muller in 1970.
The proceedings also led to an unwanted record suffered by France as trailed by four goals at half-time, the first time of any match they’ve been put behind by four since April 1930.