In a historic and thrilling conclusion to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, England secured third place with a dramatic 6-4 victory over France in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Bukayo Saka emerged as the star of the match, scoring three goals—including a penalty in the 87th minute—to record his second career hat trick for England.His efforts helped the Three Lions build a commanding 4-0 halftime lead, with additional goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa.

France’s Kylian Mbappé responded with two stunning strikes in the second half, surpassing Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record (21 goals) and taking the Golden Boot lead.Despite France’s offensive firepower, they fell short of a final showdown against Spain, which had been their original goal.The match, the highest-scoring World Cup game since 1982, drew a sellout crowd of 64,478, with fans from both nations celebrating the spectacle.England’s Jude Bellingham capped the scoring in stoppage time, marking his seventh goal of the tournament.The result secured England’s second-best finish in World Cup history, following their 1966 title win.