THE match nobody wanted to play in became the match nobody wanted to end.
England’s ‘bronze final’ – formerly known as the third-place play-off – against France descended into chaos with 10 goals, six of them for the Three Lions. And there could easily have been more.
Bukayo Saka became just the second England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout match, after Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final. The only other player to score a treble versus France in the competition was Pele in 1958.
And it means England achieved their highest men’s World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966 – and their best-ever result on foreign soil.
They did so in the highest-scoring World Cup third-place match ever, surpassing France 6-3 West Germany in 1958, and by beating a side higher in Fifa’s rankings at a World Cup for the first time since the win over Argentina in 2002.
After losing Wednesday’s semi-final to Argentina in galling fashion, England showed no hangover from that disappointment by racing into a four-goal first-half lead in a chaotic game which up-ended any gloomy pre-match talk.
Saka scored twice after Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa had put England in control inside the opening 20 minutes.
France trailed by four goals at half-time of any match for the first time since April 1930, and the players were clearly given a rocket at the break by manager Didier Deschamps – for who this was his final game in charge of his country.
And so momentum completely switched after the break, with France pulling three goals back and missing clear-cut chances to equalise.
Kylian Mbappe netted either side of a Bradley Barcola goal, to put himself ahead in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot and leap above Lionel Messi to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.
But Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled by Malo Gusto.
Ousmane Dembele curled home in the sixth minute of stoppage time to cut the deficit to 5-4, however Jude Bellingham jinked through France’s defence to seal England’s win in the 98th minute.
France had never before conceded six goals in a World Cup match. It is the first time they have conceded six times in any match in, appropriately, 66 years.
Bellingham meanwhile finishes his superb individual tournament with seven goals at this World Cup – the most of any England men’s player at a single edition.
“It was brilliant,” said former England defender Stephen Warnock on Match of the Day. “Some of the best free flowing football we have seen all tournament.”
“So much talent on show,” added Danny Murphy. “Some of the football I have seen today is the best I have seen. It had everything.”
The goalscoring chaos started in the third minute when Rice – captaining England with Harry Kane on the bench – intercepted a loose Desire Doue pass on the halfway line, charged forward and slammed a shot past France keeper Mike Maignan from the edge of the box.
The Arsenal midfielder then provided the assist for the second goal, with his near-post corner flicked in by the head of defender Konsa.
Both sides left wide-open gaps in a match that carried the air of an end-of-school-term blowout – and England took advantage with two more goals before half-time.
Saka had the whole France half to himself amid a sharp breakaway and was initially denied by Maignan, but eventually scored from a follow-up after being teed up by Marcus Rashford.
The Arsenal winger doubled his tally in stoppage time, finishing a smart through-ball from club team-mate Eberechi Eze with an angled left-foot strike.
France narrowed the deficit after 48 minutes with Mbappe’s first-time finish, before Barcola slammed past Dean Henderson at the near post six minutes later.
Mbappe then finished a slick team move for his 10th goal of this World Cup, putting him ahead of Messi – whose Argentina side face Spain in the final – in the tournament top scorer standings and moving him top of the all-time list.
The Frenchman is the first player to hit double figures at a men’s World Cup since Gerd Muller in 1970.
France missed several chances to equalise and take the game to extra time, before Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Dembele briefly threatened another sting in the tail, but Bellingham signed off a superb personal tournament with a brilliant individual goal – driving from the halfway line, beating Maxence Lacroix and finishing coolly with the last kick of the game.
After England’s bruising semi-final exit in which Thomas Tuchel’s substitutions and system after taking the lead were heavily criticised, the manager decided to make seven changes – including Kane and Bellingham being left out while Saka, who has struggled with his fitness all tournament, was given a start.
Victory came with a performance that was refreshing and enjoyable in the first half – and in the second, albeit with a few more nerves and flaws – while at the same time being deeply frustrating.
England fans will wonder where this attacking intent was against Argentina, particularly given the impressive display of Saka – who had a goal disallowed for offside and generally ran the show from the right wing even before his hat-trick.
His emphatic performance here begs the question of why he did not come on in the semi-final.
While Tuchel opted to make defensive changes against the Argentines there was nothing of the sort here – albeit in a game with much less pressure.
England ultimately prevailed in one of the most bizarre yet entertaining matches they have featured in at a major tournament.
This game had 38 shots (including 20 on target) and no England match at a World Cup has featured more goals.
After his 187th and final match in charge – a record-extending 27th in World Cup finals – Deschamps bids a long-mooted farewell to the France national team.
Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, looked to go out with a bang as he started both Mbappe and Michael Olise – top scorer and assist leader in this competition respectively. And a banger this was.
But his tenure ended in a first competitive defeat against England since 1982 despite a much improved second-half display – after a first period which threatened historic embarrassment.
France were overwhelming in attack at times, but they found England stand-in keeper Henderson in fine form as he made smart saves from Rayan Cherki, Mbappe and Dembele. Olise, meanwhile, missed two clear chances as he ends the tournament without a goal.
Following an appalling, unengaged first half, France’s quality and energy after the break rattled England – but Les Bleus fell to a defeat as enthralling as it was surreal.
This game featured the joint fifth most goals of any World Cup match, level with France 7-3 Paraguay in 1958, and the most of any game in the tournament since Hungary 10-1 El Salvador in 1982.