In a dramatic third-place match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, England defeated France 6-4 to secure the bronze medal. The match, played on July 18, 2026, featured a stunning hat-trick from Bukayo Saka, who became the first English player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match since Geoff Hurst in 1966.
Declan Rice opened the scoring for England with a long-range effort from 25 yards, capitalizing on a poor pass from Désiré Doué. France responded through Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice to bring his tournament tally to 10 goals, breaking the record for most goals in a single World Cup edition since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998. Mbappé's first goal came from a penalty, and his second was a clinical finish from inside the box.
England's other goals came from Jude Bellingham, who scored a powerful strike from outside the area, and Harry Kane, who converted a penalty. Saka completed his hat-trick with two goals in the second half, including a curling shot from the edge of the box and a tap-in from a cross by Kyle Walker. France's other goals were scored by Antoine Griezmann, who scored from a free-kick, and Olivier Giroud, who headed in a corner.
The match was notable for its high scoring and the record-breaking performance of Mbappé, who finished the tournament with 10 goals, surpassing the previous record of 8 goals held by multiple players in the 32-team era. England's victory marked their first World Cup bronze medal since 1990, when they finished fourth.
