Jude Bellingham became the first Englishman to score seven goals at a single World Cup with a late strike in England’s 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off – a win that also exposed the painful question of why this performance did not come against Argentina.
The Real Madrid midfielder, 23, was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner. The goal put him clear of Gary Lineker – who scored six at Mexico ’86 – and team‑mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.
“Jude Bellingham sets England record with 7th World Cup goal in 6-4 win over France; Kane laments missed chance against Argentina.”
“He has such confidence in his own ability,” former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. “The patience, the skill, the shot. What a goal from England’s best player.”
Twelve minutes earlier Bellingham had looked set to take a penalty but instead handed the ball to Bukayo Saka, who converted to seal his hat‑trick. Saka told BBC One: “No, Jude [Bellingham] was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat‑trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”
The hat‑trick – Saka’s third goal of the match, making him only the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat‑trick – came with England leading 4-0 after goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Bellingham. But France stormed back: a Kylian Mbappe double and a Bradley Barcola strike in just 18 second‑half minutes brought Didier Deschamps’ side to 4-3, and Ousmane Dembele later scored off the bench. Saka’s third and Bellingham’s late strike sealed the win.
Harry Kane, an unused substitute, was among the first to congratulate Saka. According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, via Covers, Kane said to his teammates: “Alright. That was some great work. It’s a shame we didn’t play like this the other day.”
The question echoes a painful semi‑final defeat. England had led Argentina 1-0 through Anthony Gordon until the 85th minute, only for Enzo Fernández to equalise and Lautaro Martinez to head in a winner in injury time. Hopes of a first World Cup final appearance since 1966 were crushed – and now, in the bronze match, England showed the form that had eluded them when it mattered most.
Thomas Tuchel made eight changes for the play‑off, with Ivan Toney among those starting. Saka’s omission against Argentina became a talking point after his hat‑trick. The win earned England bronze, but the nagging thought remains: what if they had played this way against Argentina?