England vs France: Bukayo Saka celebrates his hat-trick. (Source: Getty Images)
What a rollercoaster of a match to conclude the tournament for these two heavyweights. Thomas Tuchel promised a reaction from his England squad following their semi-final heartbreak, and they delivered in spectacular fashion against a disjointed France side. In an epic encounter at the Miami Stadium, England triumphed 6-4 to secure third place at the World Cup for the first time in their history, driven by a sensational Bukayo Saka hat-trick.
England vs France: Saka’s Hat-Trick Trilogy
The match also marked the end of an era for Les Bleus. Didier Deschamps took charge of France for the final time after 14 years at the helm, a tenure celebrated by Kylian Mbappé on social media before kick-off. However, the French team appeared entirely off the pace in the opening 45 minutes. Declan Rice, surprisingly wearing the captain’s armband in place of an injured Harry Kane, opened the scoring in the third minute after pouncing on a loose pass from Désiré Doué.
England continued to exploit the lethargic French defence. Ezri Konsa doubled the lead by nodding in a corner, beating Adrien Rabiot in the air. Saka then took centre stage, finishing a chaotic counter-attack for his first goal before adding a beautifully crafted second on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of an exquisite pass from Eberechi Eze. Going into the break 4-0 down, France looked thoroughly stunned.
Deschamps reacted decisively, making four half-time substitutions, including the introductions of Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola. The changes sparked an immediate revival. Mbappé, chasing his second successive Golden Boot, struck within three minutes of the restart. Barcola then added a second to make it 4-2, sprinting back to the halfway line with the ball tucked under his arm. When Mbappé exchanged passes with Michael Olise to net his second of the match—and his tenth of the tournament, matching Gerd Müller’s 1970 milestone—Tuchel’s side looked incredibly vulnerable.
Despite France’s relentless pressure and Olise narrowly missing a chance to force extra time, England ultimately held their nerve. Saka completed his brilliant hat-trick from the penalty spot, restoring a crucial cushion. Jude Bellingham, introduced from the bench, hammered the final nail into France’s coffin with England’s sixth goal. Dembélé managed to pull one more back in the dying moments, concluding an incredible ten-goal spectacle.
For Tuchel, who had faced boos from some sections of the crowd before kick-off, the victory offers a foundation to rebuild his reputation as he looks towards Euro 2028 on home soil. While the scars of their semi-final loss to Argentina will undoubtedly remain, England depart Miami with bronze medals and the pride of having won what will surely go down as the game of the tournament.
Full match statistics and highlights from the bronze-medal decider are available via the official FIFA World Cup match centre.
