Bukayo Saka shone on his return to the starting XI, putting up a standout individual performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff. The 24-year-old forward scored a hat-trick to inspire England to a thrilling 6-4 victory over France and claim the bronze medal at Miami Stadium on Saturday. The Arsenal forward struck twice before the interval, first sweeping home in the 37th minute before adding another in first-half stoppage time to give England a commanding 4-0 half-time lead.
With France battling back to reduce the deficit to 4-3, Saka completed his treble from the penalty spot in the 86th minute after Djed Spence was fouled in the box, restoring England’s two-goal cushion. The hat-trick makes Saka only the fourth England player to score three goals in a FIFA World Cup match, joining Geoff Hurst (1966), Gary Lineker (1986) and Harry Kane (2018). Saka also took his England tally to 17 international goals, further underlining his growing stature as one of the Three Lions’ most influential attacking players.
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