Saka hat-trick powers England to bronze in 6-4 France win
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Bukayo Saka netted a hat-trick in England's 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off, finishing the tournament with three goals and three assists in limited minutes.
- Saka told the BBC he "wanted to play more" at the World Cup after Thomas Tuchel tactically left him out of the semi-final defeat to Argentina, adding: "But of course, it's not the time to talk about out that now."
- Tuchel justified the Argentina omission by saying he "had a feeling" Morgan Rogers would be "involved in something special," though he conceded: "Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt."
- Saka confirmed "I'm fit" regarding his availability, having missed the tournament's first two games due to an issue that hampered his final two months at Arsenal.
- Sky Sports' Sam Blitz wrote that the decision to start Rogers over Saka may have been Tuchel's "biggest mistake" of the tournament, despite England's best World Cup finish since 1966.
- Tuchel framed the France win as "the first step to close" the gap on France, with Spain awaiting in the Nations League as he insisted: "Matches and seeing a team fight like this gives you energy."
Why it matters: Tuchel books England's best World Cup finish since 1966 and a six-goal win over 2018 champions France to bankroll his project, but the semi-final benching of his own acknowledged "key player" - against Argentina, where England fell short - becomes the defining what-if of his tenure as Spain awaits next in the Nations League.
