Listen to this article
Approximately 5 minutes
The audio version of this article was created using artificial intelligence technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We work with our partners to continually analyze and improve results.
England and France produced a thriller in a World Cup match that should have been an afterthought.
A day before Lionel Messi and Argentina were due to try to defend their title in the highly anticipated final, Bukayo Saka scored three goals to lead England past Kylian Mbappe and France 6-4 in a frantic game for third place.
Mbappe surpassed Messi’s record for most World Cup goals by scoring twice in the second half. The 27-year-old star has 22 career goals and 10 at this World Cup, leaving him two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
It was the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals was the most in a third-place match.
Saka scored in the 37th minute and in first-half stoppage time before adding his third goal from the penalty spot in the 87th minute for his second hat-trick of his England career. The Three Lions also got goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa to take a 4-0 half-time lead and they withstood a relentless French attack in the second half to secure their second-best World Cup result. England won their only title in 1966.
“I hope that after some time the players can be proud of this,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “We are very competitive, so we hardly allow ourselves to be proud of third place, because 18 months ago we set the highest goal. We set ourselves the highest dream and we were very, very ambitious in our dream of reaching the final and winning the World Cup. So it will really, really hurt if you miss out.”
Tuchel said he considered England’s World Cup run a success despite its semi-final failure. The Three Lions raced to a 1-0 lead against Argentina before losing 2-1 with Messi providing assists for two late goals.
Tuchel was criticized for his tactical decisions after the defeat, with many questioning what England need to do to end their years-long wait for another trophy.
He said Saturday’s result was the first step towards closing the gap on teams such as Argentina and France.
“This game will definitely help us,” he said, “even if part of it will never allow us to fully celebrate the bronze medal.”
Jude Bellingham scored eight minutes into second-half stoppage time, his seventh goal of the tournament and the highest World Cup goal by an England player. Captain Harry Kane scored six goals this year and in 2018, while Gary Lineker scored six in 1986.
Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also scored in the second half for France, who leveled the score 4-3 with Mbappe’s second goal.
Messi, who has 21 career World Cup goals and eight in this tournament, will have one last chance to pass Mbappe as the top scorer when he and defending champion Argentina face Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Mbappe also won the Golden Boot four years ago when France lost the final to Argentina on penalties.
“Leo scores all the time,” Mbappe told Fox Sports in French. “Tomorrow he will definitely score. I just try to help my team score every time. Of course, when you score so many goals at the World Cup, it takes you to a certain level. I would rather not become the top scorer in history and play in the match tomorrow.”
Both teams said they would prefer to play in Sunday’s final. France had enough offensive firepower to potentially win the tournament, but Les Blais lost to Spain in the semi-finals and missed their chance to reach a third consecutive World Cup final.
However, a sold-out crowd of 64,478 turned out to watch the seventh and final match of this World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium.
Many fans cheered for both teams. Many people came here simply for the low-stakes atmosphere of the match, and that more than helped.
“I love English football,” said Gaston Esquivel, a Mexico City native who came to support England. “I have been following the Premier League since I was a child. I’m a Manchester United fan. I like their style, I like their game.”
Thomas Ville, who traveled from Paris to follow France throughout the tournament, was hoping to see Mbappe score a hat-trick. He almost got his wish.
WATCH | Donnovan Bennett’s essay on the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
2026 World Cup: amazing and toxic
CBC Sports’ Donnovan Bennett writes this essay about the chaos that was the 2026 World Cup and how, for all its flaws, it brought people together.
France were trailing 4-0 when Mbappe fired past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute. He then beat Henderson again with a left-footed shot from about 14 yards in the 66th round.
“I don’t think Messi will score a hat-trick tomorrow,” Viel said.
It was also the last match for France coach Didier Deschamps, who said he would retire after 14 years. Deschamps hugged the players and waved to the crowd as he left the field.
“We didn’t expect this first half,” Deschamps said through an interpreter. “And we performed better in the second half. We were deeply disappointed and devastated after the semi-final. I don’t want to sum up my career at this point.”