England 6-4 France - Saka turns bronze into bedlam
Bukayo Saka's hat-trick and Jude Bellingham's late finish helped England survive France's comeback and claim World Cup bronze.
Scoreline
England won World Cup bronze by beating France 6-4, surviving a comeback after a 4-0 half-time lead. Bukayo Saka scored three; Kylian Mbappe scored twice. It was Didier Deschamps' final game as France coach. 12
The match in five turns
- 3' Rice struck from outside the box, England's second-fastest World Cup goal.
- 18' Ezri Konsa beat his marker to head in Rice's corner.
- 37' and 45+1' Saka finished England's break and then added a second from Eberechi Eze's pass. England led 4-0 at half-time.
- 48', 54' and 66' Mbappe, Bradley Barcola and Mbappe again turned the match into a one-goal game.
- 87', 90+6' and 90+8' Saka completed his hat-trick from the spot, Ousmane Dembele made it 5-4, and Jude Bellingham ended the chase. 13
Why it mattered
Saka was Player of the Match. Rice's opener was England's second-fastest World Cup goal; Michael Olise's seven assists set a tournament record; and Mbappe's two goals took him to 10 in this World Cup and 22 overall, past Lionel Messi. England secured their best finish since winning the title in 1966. 12
Verdict: England's consolation prize turned into one of the tournament's defining games.
Quote of the Day
"In the second half, we went back to being top-level players, mental machines." (Kylian Mbappe) 1
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