England 6-4 France: Saka Hat-Trick and Record-Breaking Mbappe Decide a 10-Goal World Cup Classic

England beat France 6-4 in Miami on Saturday to claim bronze at the 2026 World Cup, a ten-goal classic that outlets covering it called one of the wildest matches of the entire tournament. Bukayo Saka scored the first hat-trick of his England career, Kylian Mbappe set an all-time World Cup scoring record in a losing cause, and Jude Bellingham's late strike put the result beyond doubt in a game that swung from a rampant England start to a nervy finish.

Pictured: Bukayo Saka in England colours during the 2022 World Cup. Photo: Tasnim News Agency, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Saka's Night

England were four goals to the good inside the first half, a blitz that had Hard Rock Stadium bouncing before France had really settled. Saka, recalled to the starting eleven after sitting out the semi-final defeat to Argentina, was at the centre of it, and completed his treble from the penalty spot in the second half, his first career hat-trick. He admitted afterwards that the goals were partly fuelled by frustration at a tournament in which he'd played a more limited role than he wanted.

France never stopped fighting back. Mbappe scored twice himself, and his second was a landmark strike in its own right: his 22nd World Cup goal across three tournaments, moving him past Lionel Messi's all-time record of 21 and settling the tournament's Golden Boot race in his favour. It wasn't enough to spare France a fourth-place finish, but it capped an era-defining tournament for the 27-year-old.

With France's rally threatening to complete an unlikely comeback deep into the second half, Bellingham arrived late to add England's sixth and put the game to bed, sealing a bronze medal that Thomas Tuchel had, before kick-off, insisted "nobody wants to play for" but that both sides ultimately fought hard to win.

All ten goals, including Saka's treble and Mbappe's record-breaker, are in FIFA's official highlights: watch on FIFA.com or YouTube. Availability can vary by country depending on local broadcast rights, so if one link doesn't play, try the other.

Quick Word on the Preview

In our Weekend Round-Up preview of this fixture, two of our three data-driven angles landed comfortably: Over 2.5 Goals cashed early given the ten goals scored, and Both Teams to Score came in as both sides' attacking talent stayed sharp even with rotated backlines. France Double Chance (1X) didn't land, undone by an England side that simply refused to stop scoring, a reminder that in a fixture with this little defensive stability on either side, backing the underlying goal trends read the game better than backing a result.

The Bigger Picture

Both sides arrived in Miami still nursing semi-final heartbreak, France beaten 2-0 by Spain and England undone late by Argentina, and neither manager pretended this was the game they wanted. It turned out to be the last match in charge for Didier Deschamps, whose 14-year reign as France coach ends with Zinedine Zidane expected to take the reins, while for England, a bronze medal and a statement scoreline give Tuchel's side something concrete to build on before Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina closes out the tournament.

For our breakdown of that final, see our Argentina vs Spain preview, and if you're comparing where to follow the rest of the tournament, our 1xBet, Betway and SportyBet reviews cover the sharpest markets and fastest MoMo payouts among Ghana's licensed bookmakers.