Arsenal stars shine as England beat France in 10-goal World Cup thriller

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·19 de julio de 2026

Arsenal stars shine as England beat France in 10-goal World Cup thriller

England ended their 2026 World Cup campaign on a high with a remarkable 6-4 victory over France to secure third place, and Arsenal’s stars were right at the heart of the action.

Bukayo Saka stole the headlines with a superb hat-trick, while Captain Declan Rice produced another outstanding display by scoring once and providing an assist in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament.

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Eberechi Eze and Rice also both registered assists as Thomas Tuchel’s side bounced back from their semi-final disappointment against Argentina in spectacular fashion.

Saka delivers perfect response with stunning hat-trick

There had been plenty of debate after Saka remained an unused substitute during England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina, but the Arsenal winger responded in emphatic fashion against France.

Saka opened his account by reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s effort was saved before adding his second on the stroke of half-time after being played through brilliantly by Eze to give England a commanding 4-0 lead.

France mounted an impressive second-half comeback through a Kylian Mbappé brace, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, but Saka had the final say from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to complete his hat-trick and become just the fourth England player to score three goals in a World Cup match.

Speaking to SkySports after the game, Saka admitted he would have liked more opportunities during the tournament.

“Of course, I would love to have played more. But of course, it’s not the time to talk about that. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It’s done now. Move on.”

The Arsenal star also confirmed there were no lingering fitness concerns.

“Yeah, I’m fit. I’m fit.”

Rice caps another influential tournament

Rice once again underlined his importance to both England and Arsenal with another commanding midfield performance.

The midfielder opened the scoring after capitalising on a misplaced French pass before later delivering the corner that Konsa headed home to double England’s advantage.

After concerns throughout the tournament over the midfielder’s fitness, Rice looked much closer to his energetic best as he captained England into a four-goal lead before surviving France’s spirited fightback.

Jude Bellingham eventually sealed the victory deep into stoppage time after France had threatened an unlikely comeback, ensuring England secured their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.

Following criticism of his team selection against Argentina, Tuchel praised Saka’s display after the match.

“Bukayo showed he was a key player; that was never a doubt.”

The England manager also explained that his decision to leave Saka on the bench in the semi-final had simply been a tactical choice rather than one based on fitness.

For Arsenal supporters, perhaps the biggest positive was seeing both Saka and Rice come through the match in excellent condition after injury concerns earlier in the tournament.

With the final of the World Cup taking place today, attention will soon turn back to north London as Mikel Arteta prepares for the defence of Arsenal’s Premier League title, boosted by the confidence his two England stars will take from an outstanding finish to the summer.

What did you make of Bukayo Saka’s performance? Should he have played more during England’s World Cup campaign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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