Saka's hat trick pushes England over France in 10-goal thriller to secure third place at World Cup

England finished their World Cup campaign on a high note, clinching third place with a dramatic 6-4 win against France in a goal-laden match. Bukayo Saka was the star for England, netting a crucial hat trick, while Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and Jude Bellingham also contributed goals in the exhilarating contest.

Despite the victory, the match served as a consolation prize after England's painful 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina. "Across the tournament, we had some amazing results, and in the end we fell short against Argentina, and it hurts a lot to all of us," Saka said after the game, reflecting on the team's performance and the fans' disappointment.

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Across the tournament, we had some amazing results, and in the end we fell short against Argentina, and it hurts a lot to all of us, and I'm sure it's the same for the fans at home. But we have to hold our heads high.

France's star forward Kylian Mbappe continued his impressive scoring run, adding two goals to his tally. His brace brought his World Cup total to 10 goals for this tournament, giving him a two-goal lead in the Golden Boot competition. He also surpassed Lionel Messi's career World Cup goal count, reaching 22 goals in just 22 matches.

Both England and France were looking to rebound from semifinal disappointments. England's hopes were dashed by a late loss to Argentina, while France was outplayed in a 2-0 defeat to Spain. For France, the sting of the semifinal loss was palpable, with Mbappe stating, "To be honest, I would have preferred to not be top scorer and be in the World Cup final tomorrow."

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To be honest, I would have preferred to not be top scorer and be in the World Cup final tomorrow.