England Beat France 6-4 To Claim FIFA World Cup Third Place

England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place playoff at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, with Bukayo Saka producing a hat-trick to inspire the Three Lions to victory.

Thomas Tuchel’s side made a blistering start, racing into a 4-0 lead before half-time. Captain Declan Rice opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike in the third minute, before Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage with a header. Saka then struck twice to give England complete control at the break.

France mounted a spirited second-half comeback as Kylian Mbappé scored twice to become the World Cup’s all-time leading tournament goalscorer. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also found the net to reduce the deficit.

However, Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute before Jude Bellingham added a stoppage-time goal to seal an entertaining 6-4 victory.

The result sees England finish third at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while France end their campaign in fourth place.