England 6-4 France — Ten Goals, a Saka Hat-Trick and a Record That Fell
Available in USIf you slept through the 7am AEST kickoff on Sunday, you missed a cracker. The third-place play-off was billed as a dead rubber; instead it was ten goals, a hat-trick, and a slice of history. England beat France 6-4 in the highest-scoring World Cup match since 1982, taking third — their best men’s finish since winning it in 1966 — and leaving France fourth. As of 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 Bukayo Saka grabbed two before the break (37′, 45+1′) on the way to a hat-trick he finished 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. 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′ |
| Final | 6 (3rd) | 4 (4th) |
The record
France rallied through Mbappé (48′), Barcola (54′) and Mbappé again (66′). And that brace took Mbappé to 22 career World Cup goals, past Messi’s 21 — Kylian Mbappé is now the all-time World Cup top scorer. More: the Golden Boot race.
Read next
- Monday 5am — Spain v Argentina, the final
- Mbappé takes the goals record and Golden Boot lead
- Messi’s last World Cup final and the Golden Ball
Sources: England FA (official match centre), beIN Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera (18 July 2026). Gamble responsibly. 18+. Editorial — not financial advice.
