Saka hat-trick sinks France as England claim World Cup bronze

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GOAL

·18 July 2026

Saka hat-trick sinks France as England claim World Cup bronze

England produced a dominant first-half display to build a commanding 4-0 lead in the World Cup third-place match against France, with Declan Rice's early stunner and Bukayo Saka's brace establishing control before the break. France mounted a spirited second-half comeback through Kylian Mbappé's double and goals from Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, but ultimately fell 6-4 in Didier Deschamps' final match in charge.

Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to become only the second player after Just Fontaine to score three in a World Cup third-place match, while Jude Bellingham's stoppage-time solo goal sealed England's first bronze medal and best tournament finish since the 1966 triumph. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from France v England.

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Winners

Bukayo Saka (England)

Bukayo Saka delivered a match-winning hat-trick that secured England's World Cup bronze medal. His first goal arrived on the counter-attack in the 37th minute, he doubled his tally in first-half stoppage time to make it 4-0, then converted a penalty in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled inside the box.

The Arsenal forward's treble made him only the second player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick in a third-place match, joining Just Fontaine who netted four for France against West Germany in 1958. Beyond the goals, Saka caused constant problems for France's defence with his directness and movement in the final third.

When France's comeback brought them within one goal at 3-4, Saka's penalty restored England's two-goal cushion and effectively ended French hopes of forcing extra time. His 17 goals in 56 England appearances underline his status as a key figure for his country on the biggest stage.

Declan Rice (England)

Declan Rice captained England superbly with a performance that set the tone for their dominant first half. The Arsenal midfielder opened the scoring in the third minute with a stunning strike from outside the box, advancing unchallenged before curling an unstoppable effort into the corner past Mike Maignan.

Rice's influence extended beyond his spectacular goal. He delivered the corner that Ezri Konsa headed home for England's second and controlled the tempo throughout the opening period with intelligent positioning and distribution. His 18 England appearances now feature eight goals and seven assists.

As France mounted their second-half resurgence and pulled back to 3-4, Rice made crucial defensive interventions including a perfectly-timed sliding tackle on Mbappé to help England weather the storm. His leadership proved essential as the Three Lions held firm to claim their first third-place World Cup finish.

Loser

Malo Gusto (France)

Malo Gusto's match will be remembered for conceding the penalty that effectively ended France's comeback hopes. When Djed Spence drove into the box in the 86th minute with France trailing 3-4, Gusto fouled the England full-back, allowing Bukayo Saka to complete his hat-trick from the spot and restore a two-goal cushion.

The foul came at the worst possible moment for France, who had pulled back from 4-0 down to within one goal of potentially forcing extra time. Gusto had shown attacking intent on the right flank and combined well with Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé during France's second-half surge.

Despite contributing offensively, Gusto's defensive lapse proved costly at a pivotal moment. The penalty goal made it 5-3 and drained the momentum from France's remarkable fightback, ensuring they could not complete what would have been one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history.