England clinched the bronze medal at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place playoff, with Bukayo Saka producing a sensational hat-trick despite Kylian Mbappe creating history with a record-breaking brace.
While Mbappe became the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, England’s attacking brilliance proved decisive as Thomas Tuchel’s side capped off an impressive tournament with their best World Cup finish in six decades.
Saka shines as England seals bronze medal
England made a blistering start, taking control of the contest with four unanswered goals in the opening half.
Declan Rice opened the scoring in the third minute before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage with a well-placed header. Saka then stole the show by netting twice before the break, exposing France’s defence with his pace and clinical finishing.
France responded strongly in the second half, but England maintained its attacking approach instead of protecting its lead.
Saka completed his hat-trick to crown an outstanding individual performance before Jude Bellingham added England’s sixth goal to put the result beyond doubt.
Mbappe creates World Cup history
Despite France’s defeat, captain Kylian Mbappe achieved a remarkable personal milestone.
The striker scored twice in the second half to take his FIFA World Cup tally to 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous record of 21 and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Mbappe also moved to the top of the Golden Boot standings with 10 goals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Messi, who has scored eight goals so far, will have one final opportunity to close the gap when Argentina faces Spain in the World Cup final.
Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also scored for France during the spirited comeback, but the defending European side fell short despite reducing the deficit.
England records best World Cup finish since 1966
The entertaining encounter entered the record books as the highest-scoring FIFA World Cup match since Hungary’s 10-1 victory over El Salvador in 1982.
The 10-goal thriller also established a new scoring record for a FIFA World Cup third-place playoff.
England’s bronze-medal finish marks its best performance at the World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966, providing a strong finish to an impressive campaign under Thomas Tuchel.
Although Mbappe’s historic achievement dominated headlines, it was Saka’s dazzling hat-trick that ultimately defined one of the most memorable matches of the tournament.
