England defeat France 6-4 to secure third place at World Cup

England secured a dramatic 6‑4 victory over France on Saturday, with winger Bukayo Saka netting a hat‑trick to propel his side to their best men’s World Cup finish since the 1966 tournament. The high‑scoring encounter, played at the Stade de France before a capacity crowd, saw England overturn an early deficit and maintain the lead through a relentless attacking display, ultimately clinching the win in the final minutes of regulation time.

Saka opened the scoring in the 12th minute and added two more before halftime, while teammates Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford contributed additional goals to extend the lead. France responded with four goals, including a brace from Kylian Mbappé, but England’s defensive resilience held firm as the match concluded. The result advances England to the semi‑final stage, marking their deepest run in a World Cup in six decades and setting up a forthcoming clash with the tournament’s other semifinalist.