England 6-4 France: Saka's Hat-Trick Wins Wildest Third-Place Match Since 1982

France 4-6 England — All Goals, Third-Place Playoff · ▶ YouTube / FIFA · 2026

England 6-4 France — A Bronze-Medal Classic

The 2026 World Cup's third-place playoff is often dismissed as a formality. Not this one. England and France produced the most goals in a World Cup match since 1982 and the highest-scoring third-place game ever, with Bukayo Saka's hat-trick proving decisive at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Third-Place Playoff — Match Result

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF · HARD ROCK STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS

France 4 – 6 England

⚽ Mbappé 48', 66' · Barcola 54' · Dembelé 90'+6'  |  ⚽ Rice 3' · Konsa 18' · Saka 37', 45'+1', 87' (pen) · Bellingham 90'+2'

England raced into a commanding 4-0 lead before half-time. Declan Rice opened the scoring inside three minutes, Ezri Konsa doubled it, and Bukayo Saka struck twice more — the second a brilliant finish from the edge of the box — to send England in at the break in complete control.

⚽ Match of the Day: with England 4-0 up at half-time, few expected France to make it a contest at all — instead the third-place game became the highest-scoring match at a World Cup since 1982.

France's Second-Half Fightback

Kylian Mbappé pulled one back three minutes after the restart, then teed up Bradley Barcola to make it 4-2 before the hour mark. Mbappé struck again in the 66th minute, and suddenly a laugher had become a genuine contest. Saka settled things from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to complete his hat-trick and restore England's cushion, before Ousmane Dembelé pulled another back deep into stoppage time. Jude Bellingham had the last word, sealing the 6-4 win in the dying seconds.

What It Means

England close out the tournament with a bronze medal — their first World Cup podium finish since winning it all in 1966 — while France, beaten finalists as recently as 2022, leave without a medal despite Mbappé's brace. The goals also mattered beyond bragging rights: strikes in the third-place match count toward the tournament's Golden Boot race, and Mbappé badly needed every one of them (full Golden Boot race context).

England's run leaned heavily on Bellingham's heroics throughout the knockout rounds and, in this match, on Saka's poise from the spot and in open play. For France, it's a disappointing end to a tournament that once again reached the final four but came up short of a medal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was the final score of the World Cup 2026 third-place match?

England beat France 6-4 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 18, 2026.

Q: Who scored for England?

Declan Rice (3'), Ezri Konsa (18'), Bukayo Saka (37', 45'+1', and 87' from the penalty spot for a hat-trick), and Jude Bellingham (90'+2').

Q: Was this a World Cup scoring record?

The 10 combined goals made it the most goals in a World Cup match since 1982, and the highest-scoring third-place game in tournament history.

Sources

ESPN — France 4-6 England, Final Score Al Jazeera — England 6-4 France, as it happened CNN — England outlasts France in thrilling Bronze Final Olympics.com — France vs England score and lineups