Home » News » England 6-4 France: Player Ratings as Saka Hat-Trick Seals Third Place at World Cup 2026

England 6-4 France: Player Ratings as Saka Hat-Trick Seals Third Place at World Cup 2026

France and England flags beside a World Cup 2026 match ball ahead of the third-place playoff.

A ten-goal classic at Hard Rock Stadium: England beat France 6-4 to claim third place at the World Cup 2026 on 18 July, a Bukayo Saka hat-trick lighting up a wild afternoon in Miami. Here are our England player ratings. For the bigger picture, see our World Cup 2026 hub.

Key match stats

StatEnglandFrance
Possession54%46%
Shots1919
Shots on target119
Expected goals (xG)3.372.51

England player ratings vs France

  • GK — Dean Henderson: 6.5/10 — Beaten four times but made five saves and was rarely at fault in a madcap game.
  • RB — Jarell Quansah: 6.5/10 — Steady down the right before being withdrawn late.
  • CB — Ezri Konsa: 7.5/10 — Netted England’s second and defended stoutly.
  • CB — Marc Guéhi: 6.5/10 — Part of a back line that leaked four goals but held on.
  • LB — Djed Spence: 6.5/10 — Willing down the left through a chaotic afternoon.
  • DM — Declan Rice: 8/10 — Set the tone with a third-minute opener and bossed the midfield.
  • RW — Bukayo Saka: 9/10 — Matchwinner. A hat-trick — two first-half strikes and an 87th-minute penalty — to seal the bronze.
  • CM — Morgan Rogers: 6.5/10 — Tidy in possession without a decisive moment.
  • CM — Eberechi Eze: 7/10 — Three efforts and a constant threat until his withdrawal.
  • LW — Marcus Rashford: 6.5/10 — Bright in a first half England ran away with, before being taken off at the break.
  • ST — Ivan Toney: 6.5/10 — Led the line and stretched France without finding the net.

Substitutes

  • Jude Bellingham: 7.5/10 — Off the bench and applied the finish on 98 minutes to restore the two-goal cushion.
  • Ollie Watkins: 6.5/10 — Fresh legs up top for the second half.
  • Elliot Anderson, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah: N/A — Late cameos as England saw it out.

France vs England: how it unfolded

England blitzed France with four unanswered first-half goals — Declan Rice (3′), Ezri Konsa (18′) and a Bukayo Saka double (37′, 46′) — to lead 4-0 at the break. France roared back through Kylian Mbappé (48′), Bradley Barcola (54′) and Mbappé again (66′) to make it 4-3, only for Saka to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 87 minutes. Ousmane Dembélé pulled another back (96′) before substitute Jude Bellingham had the final say (98′) to seal a 6-4 win and the bronze medal for England. Didier Deschamps‘ France, beaten by the eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals, finish fourth.

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What was the score in the World Cup 2026 third-place playoff?

England beat France 6-4 at Hard Rock Stadium to finish third at the World Cup 2026.

Who scored a hat-trick in the third-place playoff?

Bukayo Saka, with two first-half goals and an 87th-minute penalty for England.

Did France come back?

Yes – France recovered from 4-0 down to 4-3 through two Kylian Mbappé goals and one from Bradley Barcola, but England held on to win 6-4.

Who finished third at the World Cup 2026?

England, who beat France 6-4 in the third-place playoff.