Saka nets hat-trick & Mbappe makes history as England beat France in chaotic clash to win bronze

[p]Desire was always likely to be a key factor in how this contest of defeated semi-finals transpired, and so it proved in an incredibly one-sided first half in which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] – without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellingham-jude/QNvlPm7s/"]Jude Bellingham[/a] – needed less than three minutes to break the deadlock.[/p][p]Stand-in captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] intercepted a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-desire/KIUWH2Jq/"]Desire Doue[/a] pass and strode forward unchallenged before brilliantly picking out the far corner from outside the box.[/p][image alt="Rice celebrates his goal" id="60dc9f03-aeaa-43af-8d35-76ed0e99d438" credit-line="REUTERS / Carlos Barria" guid="ea7c8f74-cc90-416d-8613-a3a1b2dff9cf" original-width="1958" original-height="1271" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] then had a strike ruled out for offside, but the Three Lions still doubled their lead inside 20 minutes when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konsa-ezri/4CQLQWTa/"]Ezri Konsa[/a] headed Rice’s corner inside the far post.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] were wide open at the back, and outside of the lively [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a], they offered very little threat at the other end.[/p][p]Thomas Tuchel’s men, meanwhile, were playing with a swagger, which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] perfectly encapsulated when he nutmegged [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaire-emery-warren/neJeseDL/"]Warren Zaire-Emery[/a] before letting fly from range, forcing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maignan-mike/S6gN2QNC/"]Mike Maignan[/a] into an impressive save. [/p][image alt="Match stats" id="20a30240-f34d-4f8c-aed6-cbbee4165441" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="2268d6c5-87bb-4643-b406-34504fd590d2" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]That was only a temporary reprieve for Les Bleus, who conceded a third when Rashford and Saka combined on the breakaway, both seeing efforts denied before the former teed up the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] winger to turn home.[/p][p]England stunningly added a fourth in first-half stoppage time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-eberechi/Stf4BYFn/"]Eberechi Eze[/a] slotted through Arsenal teammate Saka, who found the bottom corner to round off a remarkable first period, which must’ve added to the frustration of their meek surrender against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] in the semi-final.[/p][image alt="Momentum graph" id="1857f24a-8995-4de8-ba9b-b0f931759d25" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="33e28a83-25b8-4428-9b17-d839fdf4e0c7" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Deschamps’ displeasure was clear, responding with four changes at the break, and there was an immediate response as France reduced the arrears. Mbappe slotted home after being found by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a], making him the outright leader in the 2026 Golden Boot race.[/p][p]Mbappe then turned provider, slotting in substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barcola-bradley/lhGD3RgS/"]Bradley Barcola[/a] to bring the deficit down to two, a margin Maignan preserved with a brilliant save to keep out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toney-ivan/W6A3dA7c/"]Ivan Toney[/a]’s header.[/p][p]That looked even more important when an incisive France move saw Olise break the record for the number of assists at a single WC (seven), teeing up Mbappe to net his 22nd goal at the finals, and taking him clear of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] as the competition’s all-time top scorer in the process.[/p][image alt="Mbappe and Barcola both got on the scoresheet" id="2b39672e-502b-4504-ac73-3a435c967868" credit-line="REUTERS / Carlos Barria" guid="89ab0225-0f56-4690-b422-a8335c14d0e1" original-width="2300" original-height="1571" /][p]He’s also the first man since Gerd Müller in 1970 to bring up double figures for goals at a single WC, but his exploits weren’t enough to complete the French comeback.[/p][p]After Olise fired a gilt-edged chance to equalise wide of the target, England won a penalty when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spence-djed/GQAxKWes/"]Djed Spence[/a] was felled by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gusto-malo/YNCrLSO2/"]Malo Gusto[/a] inside the box, and Saka rolled home from 12 yards to complete his hat-trick.[/p][image alt="Saka scored from the spot to complete his hat-trick" id="4ba8fc34-21da-4928-9fa1-ddbe491e2c35" credit-line="REUTERS / Marco Bello" guid="1256d032-4dca-4eb7-8542-e024eb29ae49" original-width="5826" original-height="3553" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a] reignited the contest when he rifled home the contest’s ninth goal deep into stoppage time, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellingham-jude/QNvlPm7s/"]Jude Bellingham[/a] soon ended the French resistance when he broke away and netted his seventh goal of these finals – the most by an England player at a single WC – to secure their best finish at the competition since winning it in 1966[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/england-j9N9ZNFA/france-QkGeVG1n/?mid=b9l0F3Bj"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]