England beat France in 10-goal thriller to claim third place at the World Cup

Third-place play-offs have a reputation for being tired, low-stakes affairs played out between two disappointed teams with little left to give. The match between England and France tore that reputation apart: the two sides combined for ten goals, with England eventually winning 6-4 in what became one of the tournament's most memorable games.

The standout performer was, without question, Bukayo Saka. The young winger's hat-trick proved decisive in England's win and underlined a tournament in which he consistently delivered under pressure. Speaking afterward, Saka said he was fully fit and wanted to play more minutes at the tournament — a comment widely read as a message about his search for consistency across a long season.

Kylian Mbappé also made his mark. The French forward's goals equalled Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record, a milestone that stood out even inside a losing effort and underscored one of the tournament's biggest individual storylines — one likely to be discussed for years to come.

Tactically, the match reflected an open, attack-first approach from both sides. What is normally a subdued, low-intensity fixture instead played out with a genuine final's worth of intensity — as though both teams were trying to compensate for the disappointment of missing the actual final with the football they put on display.

England's coaching staff spoke afterward about their pride in the squad's performance across the tournament as a whole. Some commentators argued the third-place finish deserves to be regarded as a mark of one of England's best squads in six decades, particularly given the consistency shown throughout the competition.

Another storyline heading into the match was the future of mid-game hydration breaks in hot weather. FIFA had signalled it would review its current policy; some players and coaches feel the breaks disrupt the flow of the game, while others argue they remain essential for matches played in hot climates.

On the French side, the coaching staff expressed satisfaction with the team's first-half performance but acknowledged that the second-half goal flurry exposed fluctuations in defensive discipline. Still, France's attacking football across the tournament as a whole drew praise from supporters.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez's admission that he had been playing through a broken finger ahead of the final was another storyline circulating in the tournament's closing days — a reminder, alongside the final itself, of just how much physical toll the competition takes on players.

The match didn't just settle a placement; it also captured something of the tournament's overall spirit — proof of what elite players can still produce even through fatigue, disappointment, and pressure.

Ultimately, England's win turned what is usually a forgotten fixture into a game full of talking points: a memorable hat-trick, a history-making scoring record, and a closing note England's supporters could take genuine pride in, even without a place in the final.