England signed off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in spectacular fashion as Bukayo Saka produced a historic hat-trick in a pulsating 6-4 victory over France in the third-place playoff.
The Arsenal winger not only inspired the Three Lions to a dramatic win but also etched his name into English football folklore by becoming the first England player since Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a World Cup hat-trick in a knockout-stage match.
England looked to be cruising after a blistering first-half display. Saka struck twice before the break, while Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa also found the net to hand the Three Lions a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime. France, however, mounted a spirited comeback after the interval, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice and Bradley
Barcola pulling the score back to 4-3, turning the contest into an end-to-end thriller.
Just when the momentum appeared to be swinging towards Les Bleus, Saka completed his hat-trick to restore England's two-goal cushion at 5-3. Ousmane Dembele once again reduced the deficit to make it 5-4 and set up a nervy finish, but Jude Bellingham delivered the decisive blow with England's sixth goal to seal an entertaining victory and secure third place.
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Bukayo Saka creates History for England
Beyond the scoreline, Saka's treble carried immense historical significance. He became only the fourth England player to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup, joining an exclusive club that includes Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker and Harry Kane.
Hurst remains the only player to score a hat-trick in a men's FIFA World Cup final, doing so in England's famous 4-2 extra-time victory over West Germany in 1966. Lineker followed with three goals against Poland at the 1986 World Cup before finishing as the tournament's Golden Boot winner, while Kane struck a hat-trick against Panama during the 2018 group stage in Russia.
