Bukayo Saka stood in the Miami Stadium tunnel, a hat-trick ball under his arm, having just delivered England's best men's World Cup finish since 1966. But the evening could have felt very different. Thomas Tuchel had promised a reaction after the semi-final defeat to Argentina, yet even he could not have imagined the manner of his team's response – albeit against a France side that looked firmly on their sunloungers during an incredible first half in which they conceded four times.
Declan Rice opened the scoring, Ezri Konsa added a second, and Saka struck twice before the interval, giving England a seemingly insurmountable lead. But Kylian Mbappé, chasing his second successive Golden Boot in Didier Deschamps' last match in charge of Les Bleus, began the comeback straight after half-time. He added his second after Bradley Barcola's strike, making it 4-3. Mbappé became the first male player to reach double figures at a World Cup since Gerd Müller in 1970. For a moment, the momentum swung.
“Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 to finish third at the World Cup, their best result since 1966.”
Thankfully for England, Saka's late penalty completed his hat-trick and Jude Bellingham – coming off the bench – scored his seventh of the tournament to seal a 6-4 victory. The win meant England claimed third place, their best performance since winning the tournament in 1966. Although the scars of the semi-final loss to Argentina remain, they at least rounded off their campaign with a memorable victory.
Tuchel, who signed a contract extension before the tournament and wants to lead England into Euro 2028 on home soil, had faced boos from some supporters before the match. His decision to leave Saka out of the starting XI against Argentina – despite the winger insisting he was fully fit – had drawn criticism. Saka told the BBC: "Of course, I would love to have played more. But of course, it's not the time to talk about that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch." When asked if he was fit, he replied: "Yeah. I'm fit."
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker made an early prediction for Euro 2028. "To be honest, after the levels of that performance, it's hard not to see us winning the Euros," he said, before bursting into laughter. Co-host Micah Richards told him to "stop it." Lineker also noted Saka's remarkable efficiency: "He's got a goal and an assist every 59 minutes that he's played. Three goals and three assists." Richards called Tuchel's decision not to use Saka in the semi-final "bizarre."
For France, this was the end of an era. Deschamps, who guided them to a second world title in 2018, had Mbappé's public thanks before the game – "Today is your last dance," the Real Madrid star wrote on social media. But the media were unimpressed, singling out Manchester City's player for criticism after France shipped four goals before half-time. England's bronze medal ceremony, however, suggested the players' effort over the past five weeks has been fully appreciated by supporters. Now Tuchel faces two years to prove he can rebuild his reputation before a home Euros.