Saka Hat-Trick Seals 6-4 England Win Over France in World Cup Third-Place Playoff
England beat France 6-4 in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick, according to The Guardian. The result marked England's highest finish at the tournament since 1966, the newspaper reported.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Mon, 20 July 2026 · 1 min read
England beat France 6-4 in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick, according to The Guardian. The result marked England's highest finish at the tournament since 1966, the newspaper reported.
The Guardian said Saka struck three times in an open, high-scoring contest in which both sides traded goals throughout. France, runners-up in 2022, had been eliminated from the title race earlier in the week and ended the finals in fourth place.
The victory handed England a bronze medal after their semi-final exit and capped a tournament in which Saka became a focal point of the attack, The Guardian reported. The newspaper described the match as one of the highest-scoring games of the finals.
The World Cup final followed the playoff, closing a 2026 tournament staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. England's 6-4 win over France stands as the headline result from the latest round of fixtures.
## World Cup Third-Place Playoff: How England Beat France
England's 6-4 victory over France was built on Saka's three-goal haul and a free-scoring approach at both ends, The Guardian reported. France replied repeatedly but could not close the gap.
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