FIFA World Cup 2026: England Clinches Third Place After a 10-Goal Thriller Against France; Saka Hits Hat-Trick

July 19, 2026

The football world witnessed an absolute goal-fest in the third-place play-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In a high-voltage clash defined by relentless attacks and counter-attacks, England’s Three Lions emerged victorious with a staggering 4-6 win over France. With this thrilling victory, England secured the tournament’s third place (Bronze medal), while Les Bleus had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

First-Half Dominance by England

England took the game by storm from the very kickoff, putting intense pressure on the French defense. Declan Rice opened the scoring just 3 minutes into the match to give England an early lead. Before France could recover from the early shock, Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute.

Then began the Bukayo Saka show. The forward scored his first goal of the match in the 37th minute and netted his second during first-half stoppage time (45+1′), sending England into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.

France’s Incredible Second-Half Comeback

Down by four goals, France came out of their shell in the second half with an unbelievable resurgence. Kylian Mbappé sparked hope in the French camp by scoring their first goal in the 48th minute. Just six minutes later, Bradley Barcola made it 4-2 in the 54th minute. The stadium erupted when Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute to score his second, bringing France within touching distance at 4-3.

Saka’s Hat-Trick and a Dramatic Finish

Just as France was desperately pushing for an equalizer, Bukayo Saka completed his brilliant hat-trick by converting a penalty in the 87th minute, moving the scoreline to 5-3.

However, the drama was far from over. In the sixth minute of stoppage time (90+6′), Ousmane Dembélé fired in France’s fourth goal, keeping the outcome on a knife-edge. Finally, in the 90+8th minute, Jude Bellingham sealed the deal by scoring England’s sixth goal, shattering French hopes and securing a historic 6-4 victory for the Three Lions.

Match Scorecard at a Glance:

 England (6): D. Rice (3′), E. Konsa (18′), B. Saka (37′, 45+1′, 87′ PEN), J. Bellingham (90+8′).

 France (4): K. Mbappé (48′, 66′), B. Barcola (54′), O. Dembélé (90+6′).

This 10-goal thriller will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most entertaining and memorable World Cup third-place play-offs ever played.