Saka: England should have been in World Cup final, not third-place match

Published Jul 20, 03:09 AM UTC

England's Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in the World Cup third-place match, leading England to a 6-4 victory over France and the bronze medal. Despite the achievement, Saka expressed disappointment that the team believed they should have been in the final instead. He noted that only four English players have scored a World Cup hat-trick before him (Hurst, Lineker, Kane, Saka) and felt proud of the accomplishment. Saka also praised outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel for instilling belief in the players and the nation, saying the team built a deep bond over six to seven weeks. Tuchel told the team he was proud and would miss them, emphasizing the need to carry forward the pride and focus on winning the next tournament. Saka acknowledged this was England's best result in 60 years but said the belief that 'this was our year' made the loss hurt more than previous tournaments.