Saka’s stunning hat trick powers England past France in 10-goal World Cup thriller

Bukayo Saka delivered one of the finest performances of his international career, scoring a brilliant hat trick as England outlasted France 6-4 in a breathtaking World Cup third-place playoff that rewrote the tournament record books.

The 10-goal spectacle became the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary's 10-1 demolition of El Salvador in 1982 and established a new benchmark for goals in a third-place playoff. Although neither side achieved its ultimate ambition of reaching the final, they produced an unforgettable attacking display before a sellout crowd of 64,478 at Hard Rock Stadium.

England's victory secured the nation's second-best finish at a World Cup, trailing only its historic 1966 championship triumph.

Saka sets the tone before England's fast start

England appeared unstoppable during a dominant opening half, racing to a commanding 4-0 advantage through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two clinical finishes from Saka.

The Arsenal winger opened his account in the 37th minute before striking again deep into first-half stoppage time, putting France in a seemingly impossible position before the interval.

Saka completed his second international hat trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, providing the decisive cushion after France mounted a spirited comeback.

Jude Bellingham delivered the final blow in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, registering his seventh goal of the tournament to seal England's six-goal haul.

Mbappé keeps France alive and makes history

France refused to surrender quietly, largely because of the brilliance of Kylian Mbappé.

The French captain ignited the comeback in the 48th minute by flicking the ball beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson before adding another with a composed left-footed finish from approximately 14 yards in the 66th minute.

Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also found the net as France relentlessly attacked despite the early deficit.

Mbappé's brace carried historic significance. His two goals lifted him to 22 career World Cup goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's previous tournament record of 21. The performance also elevated his tournament total to 10 goals, giving him a two-goal cushion over Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the competition's leading scorer.

Messi, however, still has one final opportunity to respond when defending champion Argentina meets Spain in Sunday's World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

A consolation match that felt like a showcase

Neither England nor France concealed its disappointment about missing the championship match.

France entered the tournament with enough attacking quality to dream of a third consecutive World Cup final but saw those hopes dashed by Spain in the semi-finals. England suffered its own heartbreak after surrendering a 1-0 advantage in a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, with Messi creating both late goals.

Even so, the atmosphere inside Hard Rock Stadium reflected the global appeal of two football heavyweights.

"I love English football," said Gaston Esquivel, a native of Mexico City who attended to support England. "I've followed the Premier League since I was a kid. I am a Manchester United fan. I like their style, I like their game."

French supporter Thomas Viel, who traveled from Paris to follow Les Bleus throughout the tournament, arrived hoping for an unforgettable performance from his country's superstar.

"I think Messi will not score a hat trick tomorrow," Viel said after watching Mbappé score twice.

Deschamps bids farewell

The match also marked the end of an era for France.

Head coach Didier Deschamps took charge of Les Bleus for the final time, concluding a remarkable 14-year tenure after previously announcing he would step down following the tournament.

As the final whistle sounded, Deschamps embraced his players before acknowledging the crowd with a wave, bringing one of international football's most accomplished managerial reigns to a close.