England 6-4 France — ten goals, a Saka hat-trick, and a record that fell
Available in USThe third-place play-off was billed as a dead rubber. Instead it became ten goals, a hat-trick, and a slice of World Cup history. England beat France 6-4 on Saturday in the highest-scoring World Cup match since 1982, taking third — their best men’s World Cup finish since winning it in 1966 — and leaving France fourth. Here is the recap. As at 19 July 2026.
A first half from another planet
At the break it was 4-0 England. Declan Rice struck inside three minutes, Ezri Konsa doubled it on 18, and then Bukayo Saka took over: two before half-time (37′, 45+1′) on the way to a hat-trick he completed from the spot on 87′. That made Saka only the second Englishman ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match — after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final. Jude Bellingham capped it in stoppage time (90+8′).
| Goals | England | France |
|---|---|---|
| Scorers | Rice 3′, Konsa 18′, Saka 37′, 45+1′, 87′ (pen), Bellingham 90+8′ | Mbappé 48′, Barcola 54′, Mbappé 66′, Dembélé 90+6′ |
| Half-time | 4-0 | — |
| Final | 6 (3rd) | 4 (4th) |
France’s fightback — and a record along the way
France didn’t fold: Mbappé pulled one back (48′), Barcola followed (54′), and suddenly there was a game. But the real story was personal — Mbappé’s brace took him to 22 career World Cup goals, past Messi’s 21. Kylian Mbappé is now the all-time World Cup top scorer. More on that: the Golden Boot race.
Read next
- Sunday — Spain vs Argentina, the final
- Mbappé takes the goals record and Golden Boot lead
- Messi’s last World Cup final and the Golden Ball
Odds/records for information only — please bet responsibly. In Ontario, betting is regulated by AGCO / iGaming Ontario; ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600. 19+ (18+ in Alberta and Manitoba). Sources: England FA (official match centre), beIN Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera (18 July 2026).
