Third place not enough to heal World Cup 'wounds' - Saka

Bukayo Saka called on his England teammates to move forward from their 2026 World Cup campaign, even as the disappointment of missing the final lingers. The Arsenal star was instrumental in securing third place, scoring a hat-trick in a thrilling 6-4 win against France. However, Saka admitted the victory did not fully erase the sting of their 1-2 semifinal loss to Argentina, a defeat that still pains the squad.

"Throughout this tournament, we achieved some great results, and in the end, we fell short against Argentina. It's very painful for all of us, and I'm sure the fans in England feel the same," Saka said after his World Cup hat-trick, the fourth by an England player in the tournament's history. "But we have to keep our heads up."

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Throughout this tournament, we achieved some great results, and in the end, we fell short against Argentina. It's very painful for all of us, and I'm sure the fans in England feel the same. But we have to keep our heads up.

England initially dominated the match against France, leading 4-0 with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and two from Saka. France mounted a comeback in the second half with two goals from Kylian Mbappe and strikes from Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. England ultimately secured the win with a late goal from Jude Bellingham in injury time, ending their tournament on a high note.

Saka believes the experience gained on the World Cup stage will be valuable for England's young squad. "I think we have to take a lot of positives from this tournament. We showed character and the spirit to keep fighting until the end. Of course, we are disappointed because our main goal was to be in the final, but we have to look forward and use this experience to become better," he stated. Kylian Mbappe also made headlines, scoring twice to reach 22 World Cup career goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's record of 21.

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I think we have to take a lot of positives from this tournament. We showed character and the spirit to keep fighting until the end. Of course, we are disappointed because our main goal was to be in the final, but we have to look forward and use this experience to become better.