FOOTBALLFIFA World Cup 2026, Third-Place Play-Off
France 4-6 England: Saka Hat-Trick Seals Bronze in Ten-Goal Miami Thriller
Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England built a 4-0 lead and then survived a stirring France comeback led by Kylian Mbappe to win an extraordinary third-place play-off 6-4 in Miami, the most goals in a World Cup match since 1982.
In this report
ENGLAND ended their World Cup campaign on a high with a quite remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off in Miami, a ten-goal classic that saw them race into a four-goal lead, withstand a thrilling French fightback and finally seal the bronze medal with two goals deep into stoppage time.
The Three Lions could not have made a better start. Declan Rice put England ahead after just three minutes and Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage after 18 minutes as France, still nursing the wounds of their semi-final defeat to Spain, were left reeling. Bukayo Saka then took centre stage, striking twice before the interval, in the 37th minute and again in first-half stoppage time, to send England in 4-0 up at the break.
Timeline of key events
- 3'
Goal, England. Rice fires England ahead inside three minutes.
- 18'
Goal, England. Konsa makes it 2-0.
- 37'
Goal, England. Saka strikes for 3-0.
- 45+1'
Goal, England. Saka nets his second on the stroke of half time for 4-0.
- 48'
Goal, France. Mbappe pulls one back for 4-1.
- 54'
Goal, France. Barcola makes it 4-2.
- 66'
Goal, France. Mbappe strikes again for 4-3.
- 87'
Goal, England. Saka completes his hat-trick from the penalty spot for 5-3.
- 90+6'
Goal, France. Dembele finishes to make it 5-4.
- 90+8'
Goal, England. Bellingham beats three defenders and finishes for the 6-4 final score.
The game looked over, but France had other ideas. Kylian Mbappe pulled a goal back three minutes after the restart and Bradley Barcola made it 4-2 after 54 minutes to set up a grandstand finish. Mbappe struck again after 66 minutes, his second of the night, and suddenly it was 4-3 and England were hanging on.
Saka settled the nerves from the penalty spot after 87 minutes to complete his hat-trick and restore England's two-goal cushion at 5-3, but the drama was far from over. Ousmane Dembele finished superbly in the sixth minute of stoppage time to make it 5-4 and give France one last glimmer of hope.
The final word, though, belonged to Jude Bellingham. In the eighth minute of added time he showed wonderful composure to dribble past three France defenders inside the box before slotting home a simple finish for 6-4 and sending the England supporters wild.
Mbappe's brace moved him past Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, and his tally of 10 for the tournament put him firmly in command of the Golden Boot race. For England, though, this was a day to savour. The 6-4 scoreline was the most goals in a World Cup match since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982 and the highest-scoring third-place game in the history of the competition, and it secured England's best finish at a World Cup since they lifted the trophy in 1966.
Match statistics
| Metric | France | England |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 10 | 8 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 5 |
Possession, shots, passing and fouls: official match data issued in the press box. Expected goals: third party provider, as published. Saves counted at the ground and verified against the team sheet.
Match details
- Competition
- FIFA World Cup 2026, Third-Place Play-Off
- Date
- 18th July 2026
- Venue
- Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Final Score
- France 4 - 6 England
- Half Time
- France 0 - 4 England
- Goalscorers
- Mbappe 48', 66', Barcola 54', Dembele 90+6' (France); Rice 3', Konsa 18', Saka 37', 45+1', 87' pen, Bellingham 90+8' (England)
- Referee
- Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela)
Editorial judgement, not a statistic
Darrion Watson's standout players
Bukayo Saka (England) A match-winning hat-trick, two before the break and the crucial penalty late on to see off the French fightback.
Jude Bellingham (England) Capped a superb tournament with a moment of magic, gliding past three defenders to seal the win.
Declan Rice (England) Set the tone with a third-minute opener and drove England forward all afternoon.
Kylian Mbappe (France) Almost dragged France back single-handedly with a brace that took him past Messi as the World Cup's all-time top scorer.
Ezri Konsa (England) Scored England's second and stood firm as France threw everything forward late on.
Selected by Darrion Watson at the ground.
Darrion Watson
Junior Football Reporter
Darrion Watson is a football reporter contributing match reports to CUVA Sports, working under William Powell's editorial guidance as he builds his experience covering the English game.