England’s Bukayo Saka (7) is congratulated by Jude Bellingham (10) and Reece James
England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, securing their best finish at the tournament since 1996.
Bukayo Saka inspired the Three Lions with a hat-trick, opening the scoring in the 37th minute before adding a second in first-half stoppage time. He completed his second hat-trick in an England shirt from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
France, who trailed 4-0 at half-time, mounted a spirited second-half comeback but ultimately fell short.
Despite the defeat, Kylian Mbappé made history by surpassing Lionel Messi as the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. However, the milestone was not enough to earn Les Bleus the bronze medal.
The match also marked the first time in 66 years that France conceded six goals in a World Cup match.
England supporters hailed the encounter as one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament.
“What a game! 6-4, are you kidding me? I think it’s one of the greatest World Cup matches ever,” said England fan Marwin Anderi. “I know it’s only the third-place playoff and a lot of people have talked it down, but both teams gave everything and fielded really strong sides. What a match. It’s one for the history books.”
Despite the result, French supporters praised their team’s resilience after fighting back from a four-goal deficit.
“What a comeback, just as Kylian Mbappé predicted. He’s a hero, so no regrets. Everything was great. Win or lose, it was a brilliant match,” said one supporter.
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