World Cup Desk – Bukayo Saka netted a magnificent hat-trick to power Thomas Tuchel’s England to a thrilling 6-4 victory over France, securing third place in a historic, high-scoring World Cup encounter at Miami Gardens on Saturday.
While the Three Lions celebrated their best World Cup finish in decades, the match also witnessed Kylian Mbappé claiming the ultimate crown as the highest goalscorer in World Cup history, despite finishing on the losing side.
The 10-goal spectacle immediately cemented its place as the third highest-scoring third-place play-off in tournament history.
For England, this triumph marks their finest World Cup campaign since lifting the trophy in 1966, having previously lost third-place battles in 1990 and 2018.
First-Half Blitz Stuns Les Bleus
Both managers rang the changes, introducing seven new players each to their starting lineups. However, it was England who adapted instantly, capitalising on a defensive blunder just three minutes into the game.
Declan Rice intercepted a stray pass and unleashed a spectacular 25-yard strike to give England the lead.
Clocked at 2 minutes and 14 seconds, it stands as England’s second-fastest World Cup goal, trailing only Bryan Robson’s 28-second strike against France in 1982.
The English onslaught continued in the 18th minute when Ezri Konsa nodded home from a Rice corner. Despite Mbappé trying to spark a response, England custodian Jordan Pickford and defender Marc Guéhi stood resolute.
The game quickly turned into a nightmare for Didier Deschamps’ side. In the 37th minute, Bukayo Saka finished off a swift counter-attack to score his first.
Right before the halftime whistle, the Arsenal winger latched onto an Eberechi Eze pass to make it 4-0. This marked the first time in World Cup history that France trailed by four goals, and the first time they conceded four in a first half since a Euro qualifier against Yugoslavia 58 years ago in 1968.
Mbappé’s Historic Resurgence and Olise’s Record
The second half saw a completely rejuvenated French side take the pitch. In the 48th minute, Mbappé opened France’s account off a Michael Olise assist. Six minutes later, Bradley Barcola slotted home from an Mbappé pass to narrow the deficit further.
The defining moment of football history arrived in the 66th minute. Linking up beautifully with Olise once again, Mbappé netted his second goal of the match.
The strike was his 22nd World Cup goal in 22 matches, officially breaking Lionel Messi’s record of 21 goals to make Mbappé the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.
The goal also took his tournament tally to 10, putting him ahead of Messi (8 goals) in the current Golden Boot race.
Simultaneously, Michael Olise registered his 7th assist of the tournament, breaking the legendary Pelé’s 1970 record (6 assists) for the most assists in a single World Cup edition.
Late Drama and Deschamps’ Final Bow
With France sensing a dramatic equalizer, England halted the momentum in the 87th minute when Saka converted a penalty to complete his first-ever World Cup hat-trick and his 17th international goal.
France refused to go down quietly, as substitute Ousmane Dembélé pulled another goal back in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
However, Jude Bellingham quickly extinguished any hopes of a miracle. Embarking on a sensational solo run from his own half, the midfielder danced past multiple defenders to smash home England’s sixth goal—and his seventh of the tournament.