England secure World Cup bronze with 6-4 thriller, Saka hat-trick
England defeated France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place match, claiming their first bronze medal. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, while Kylian Mbappé netted twice to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.
In Miami, England won the FIFA World Cup bronze medal for the first time, beating France 6-4. The English dominated the first half, scoring four goals. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, Ezri Konsa doubled the lead, and Bukayo Saka scored twice before halftime to make it 4-0.
France responded after halftime with four substitutions. Kylian Mbappé scored first, then assisted Bradley Barcola to cut the deficit to 4-2. Mbappé later added another goal, surpassing Lionel Messi as the all-time top scorer in World Cup finals with 22 goals. He also became the first player since Gerd Müller in 1970 to reach 10 goals in a single tournament.
England countered with Saka completing his hat-trick from a penalty, and substitute Jude Bellingham scored his seventh goal of the tournament, setting a new English record. Ousmane Dembélé scored in stoppage time, but England held on to win.
This is England's first World Cup bronze, their best result since winning the tournament in 1966.
