Bukayo Saka became the first English player to score a FIFA World Cup hat-trick in a knockout match since the legendary Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 Final as England secured a bonkers 6-4 win over France in the Bronze Medal match played in Miami, Florida.

France 4 England 6

It was the match that no-one wanted to play which resulted in the match that no-one wanted to miss as England and France put on a contest for the ages in front of an appreciate crowd in Miami, the Three Lions shaking off the disappointment of semi-final defeat to record their highest placing at a FIFA World Cup since their one and only success sixty years ago.

Few would have guessed the outcome as England came flying out of the blocks scoring inside two minutes as Declan Rice stroked home a delightful finish. This was England’s second fastest World Cup goal of all time. And it got even better sixteen minutes later as Ezri Konsa met a corner at the near post with a glancing header that ghosted into the net.

By the time Saka combined with Marucs Rashford to make it 3-0 in the 37th minute, the English fans were in dreamland.  If that wasn’t enough, Saka struck again in first-half stoppage time as Thomas Tuchel’s men went into the break with a quite remarkable 4-0 advantage.

France were shellshocked but found their groove in the second half. Kylian Mbappé rapped home a goal almost straight after the restart, before Bradley Barcola coolly reduced the arrears further. By the time Mbappé bagged his second, and tenth of the tournament to retake the lead in the Golden Boot race and at the top of the all-time FIFA World Cup scorers’ chart, a sensational recovery appeared on the cards.

Djed Spence made sure that was unlikely to happen, upended in the area, allowing Saka to complete his treble from the penalty spot, only for Ousmane Dembélé to curl in a tremendous fourth for France. Fittingly, England sealed the bronze medal deep into stoppage time as the ultra-impressive Jude Bellingham, introduced as a late substitute, tip-toed through the tiring French defence to clatter home England’s sixth.

RESULT

France 4 (Kylian MBAPPÉ 48’, 66’, Bradley BARCOLA 54’, Ousmane DEMBÉLÉ 90+6’) England 6 (Declan RICE 2’, Ezri KONSA 18’, Bukayo SAKA 37’, 45+1’, 87’ (p), Jude BELLINGHAM 90+8’)