Bukayo Saka scored three goals in England's 6-4 victory over France to secure a bronze medal, following his omission from the semi-final against Argentina.

Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick to help England defeat France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place play-off. The performance followed England's semi-final exit to Argentina, a match for which manager Thomas Tuchel had left Saka on the bench. Saka, who confirmed he was fit during the tournament, expressed a desire to have played more minutes throughout the competition.

Tuchel's selection decisions

Manager Thomas Tuchel defended his decision to start Morgan Rogers over Saka in the semi-final against Argentina, stating he had a "feeling" that Rogers would be involved in something special. Tuchel noted that the match was physically demanding, forcing tactical changes due to player cramps. He acknowledged Saka as a "key player" but admitted he had lost track of the goalscorers during the high-scoring match against France.

Tournament performance and context

Saka entered the World Cup managing injury issues that had affected his performance during the final two months of the club season with Arsenal. Despite these concerns, he recorded three assists in 192 minutes of play prior to the quarter-finals. He finished the tournament with a total of three goals and three assists. England’s victory over France secured the nation's best World Cup performance since 1966.

Looking toward future fixtures

Following the bronze medal match, Tuchel expressed his focus on the next phase of his tenure as England manager, specifically citing an upcoming Nations League match against Spain. He noted that while the team still feels the pain of missing the final, the effort shown by the squad in the third-place play-off provides him with energy for the future.