England Secures Third Place in World Cup with 6-4 Thriller Over France
Saka's Hat-Trick Powers England Past France in Didier Deschamps' Final Match
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
England clinched third place at the World Cup after a dramatic 6-4 victory over France, a match defined by a stunning Bukayo Saka hat-trick and a significant French comeback.
Declan Rice scored for England in the third minute, establishing an early lead.
Ezri Konsa then extended England's advantage to 2-0, pushing France onto the defensive.
England made seven changes to their starting lineup for the fixture, omitting key players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
The starting XI featured Dean Henderson, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, and Ivan Toney.
Marcus Rashford exited the game at half-time, changing England's attacking formation for the second period.
Later, Elliot Anderson replaced Eberechi Eze in the 79th minute; Jude Bellingham simultaneously came on for Ivan Toney.
Meanwhile, France mounted a significant comeback, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice; Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele each added a goal.
This match marked the final game for Didier Deschamps as France's manager, concluding a notable era for the national team.
Thomas Tuchel, facing considerable scrutiny, saw his side withstand France's relentless second-half surge.
This victory brought Tuchel applause from the stands, replacing previous boos and criticism directed at him.
Tuchel had promised a reaction from his team, and England delivered a strong response, particularly in the first half.
A real game of two halves.
France, in contrast, conceded four goals before the break, struggling to contain England's early attacks.
Their second-half recovery from a 4-0 deficit mirrored their response in the 2022 final, showing a familiar fight.
Mbappe's two goals pushed him two ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race and established him as the all-time World Cup leading scorer with 22 goals.
The Football Association confirmed an injury to an unnamed player; Jordan Henderson was among the substitutes despite a broken arm sustained celebrating a previous win.
The dramatic shift in momentum between the two periods prompted observers to describe the match as 'a real game of two halves.'
Despite the deficit, France fought back with determination in Didier Deschamps' last game, refusing to yield.