Saka hat-trick seals 6-4 England win over France in epic World Cup third-place playoff
England defeated France 6-4 in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff in a high-scoring match. The game marked the final appearance for French manager Didier Deschamps and featured a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka.
Bukayo Saka (centre) celebrates with Jude Bellingham and Reece James after scoring his third goal and England’s fifth./Getty Images Bukayo Saka (centre) celebrates with Jude Bellingham and Reece James after scoring his third goal and England’s fifth./Getty Images World Cup 2026 Saka hat-trick seals 6-4 England win over France in epic World Cup third-place playoff Ed Aarons at Miami Stadium Sat 18 Jul 2026 19.05 EDT Last modified on Sun 19 Jul 2026 03.12 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Where to start with this rollercoaster of a match? Thomas Tuchel had promised a reaction but he could not have imagined the manner of the response from England , albeit against a France team firmly on their sunloungers during an incredible first half in which they conceded four times.
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