Bukayo Saka: Although we didn't make it to the final, finishing with a victory is very meaningful for the team.

In the 2026 World Cup third-place match, England defeated France 6-4 in a high-scoring affair to secure third place in the tournament. Arsenal striker Bukayo Saka was the hero of the victory, scoring a hat-trick to seal the win for England. After the match, Saka gave an interview, sharing his thoughts on his performance, the team's World Cup journey, and the tournament as a whole.  

In this third-place match, Bukayo Saka became the key figure in England's victory. The Arsenal striker scored three goals—in the 37th minute, in first-half stoppage time, and in the final stages of the game—earning the match ball with his outstanding performance. This hat-trick also made history for Saka, making him only the second English player, after Jeff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final, to score three goals in the knockout stage of a World Cup.  

After the match, Bukayo Saka reflected on the intense contest, saying, "It was a very crazy game. Although we are still disappointed that we didn't make it to the final, it's very important to end our World Cup journey with a victory and achieve the best World Cup result for the country in nearly 60 years. Our performance in the first half helped us establish the lead, they found their form in the second half, but we scored two more goals at the end to secure the final victory."  

In the final stages of the match, England were awarded a penalty. Jude Bellingham voluntarily gave the penalty to Bukayo Saka, allowing the latter to complete his hat-trick. Bukayo Saka responded, "Jude Bellingham never intended to take this penalty himself. His first words to me were, 'Go and complete your hat-trick.' He held the ball the whole time, making sure no one else got the chance, which meant a lot to me."  

Despite failing to reach the World Cup final, England finished as the fourth seed and won the third-place match. Bukayo Saka stated that England improved throughout the tournament, gaining valuable experience and creating many memorable moments.  

Bukayo Saka then added: "The team has grown throughout the tournament and achieved some very proud results. The loss to Argentina was disappointing for everyone, and I believe it was equally difficult for England fans to accept. But we must maintain a positive attitude and move forward, turning this experience into motivation for future progress."  

"Most importantly, it's about how we face setbacks and turn disappointment into motivation to keep going. Today's victory allows us to end our World Cup journey in a positive way, which is the best response we can give right now, and the team has achieved that goal."  

Image source: Internet/England National Team official website