England beat France 6-4 in World Cup third-place thriller as Saka hits hat-trick

England finished their World Cup campaign with a 6-4 victory over France in the third-place match in Miami, a game in which Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick and Kylian Mbappe struck twice for the beaten side.

Thomas Tuchel's team led 4-0 at half-time, with Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa on the scoresheet alongside a double from Saka. The margin came after a week of criticism of England following their 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina.

Hargreaves questions half-time shirt swap

The interval brought an unexpected talking point. Footage shown en route to the dressing rooms appeared to show Rice carrying a France shirt and Mbappe holding an England one, suggesting the pair had exchanged jerseys before the second half. Mbappe was seen in conversation with Tuchel, his former coach at Paris Saint-Germain, as they walked off.

Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, working as a pundit for FOX Sports, questioned the timing of the gesture, noting that shirts are usually swapped after the final whistle. "Weird. Very, very weird," he said.

France's second-half response falls short

France improved markedly after the break. Mbappe scored either side of a Bradley Barcola goal to reduce the deficit, but Saka converted a penalty with three minutes remaining to complete his hat-trick and restore England's cushion. Ousmane Dembele pulled another goal back in stoppage time before Jude Bellingham finished a solo run to seal the tenth goal of the match.

• England beat France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place match in Miami
• Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, including a late penalty
• Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Jude Bellingham also scored for England
• Kylian Mbappe scored twice, with Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also on target for France
• Rice and Mbappe appeared to swap shirts at half-time, a gesture Owen Hargreaves criticised

Third place represents England's best World Cup finish since their 1966 triumph, offering some consolation after their semi-final exit. The tournament concludes with Spain facing Argentina in the final, while England's next competitive fixtures come in the Nations League in September, with Euro 2028 on home soil the next major tournament on their schedule.