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Bukayo Saka revealed he "wanted to play more" at the World Cup after scoring a hat-trick to earn England a bronze medal against France - after Thomas Tuchel tactically left him out of the semi-final loss to Argentina.Saka hit a treble in a crazy 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off - which included two brilliant first-half goals in an England performance that completely contrasted from the semi-final loss to Argentina.While England were defensive and dour last time out, the Three Lions showed quality in possession, threat on the counter and ruthlessness in attack. And many asked the same question: why didn't Saka play against Argentina?"Of course, I would love to have played more," Saka told the BBC after the game. "But of course, it's not the time to talk about out that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It's done now. Move on."Asked if it's good news for Arsenal fans to see him playing and scoring like this, Saka replied: "Yeah. I'm fit. I'm fit."However, despite being "fit", Tuchel said he just "had a feeling" that Rogers would offer more in the semi-final win over Argentina."He did everything right," Tuchel said of Saka. "I had just a feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special. That was it."The [Argentina] game was so in demand that we were forced into changes because of cramps and flow of the game."Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt. I was not even aware he had a hat-trick [against France]. I lost the overview of the goalscorers."

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As the top two in the Fifa rankings prepare to meet in New Jersey on Sunday we look at the pointers that may help decide the gameSlavko Vincic becomes the first Slovene to referee a World Cup final. He oversaw the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley (Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0) as well as Spain’s 2-1 win over France at the 2024 Euros semi-final. The 46-year-old’s first World Cup match was Argentina’s opening loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022. At this tournament, Vincic showed Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié a red card for covering his mouth in the 95th minute against Mexico. He has averaged 2.33 yellow cards per game.Thirteen of the past 14 World Cup and European Championship finals – men’s and women’s – have been won by the side who played their semi-final first. On the other occasion the semi-finals were played on the same day. Spain’s men started the streak, beating Italy 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012. Argentina have also benefited, enjoying four days rest to France’s three going into the 2022 final. This time it is Spain who have had an extra day’s rest.No Argentinian president has attended a national team World Cup match for 36 years and the current one, Javier Milei, will be no exception. He has watched all seven games from his presidential residence, telling a Buenos Aires radio station there is “no way” he is travelling to New Jersey. The superstition dates back to 1990 when Carlos Menem visited the Argentina squad before their shock opening loss to Cameroon. The president’s attendance at a World Cup match has since been thought to bring bad luck to the team. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, plans to attend the match and so does King Felipe VI.An Argentina victory would make them the third country to win back-to-back World Cups and the first this century. Italy won in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962. If Spain triumph, they would become the fourth men’s side to hold the Euros and the World Cup at the same time after West Germany (1972, 1974), France (1998, 2000) and Spain, who were the first men’s team in history to win three major titles in a row (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012).Argentina have scored the most goals of any team (19) by some margin, with Spain in fourth on 14. But Spain have conceded the fewest goals (1), with Argentina letting in seven.If four quarters and a half-time show wasn’t enough, the winners will be handed rings. Presenting rings has been common practice in the US since the 1922 World Series. There is money to be made, with 30 rings available for the world champions and a further 1,996 going on sale to the public. The design features a mini World Cup trophy on one side, while the other will “reflect the identity of the winning team”, as revealed on Fifa’s website. The victorious team’s players and coaches will be handed temporary rings to allow the bespoke rings to be customised and presented at a later date.The sides were scheduled to meet this year in the Finalissima in Qatar, with Argentina hoping to defend the trophy they won against Italy in 2022. However, the game was called off due to the war in the Middle East and Uefa said: “After much discussion between Uefa and the organising authorities in Qatar, we can announce that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March.” The two teams were unable to agree on an alternative option and the match was cancelled.The final will be contested by two managers without any top-division experience at club level. Luis de la Fuente, who was dismissed after 11 games at third division Alavés, has been coaching Spain at various age groups since 2013. Lionel Scaloni has pretty much only managed the Argentinian national team – apart from six matches in charge of the Under-20s. Having already won the Euros, Copa América and World Cup between them, the pair have shown that elite club experience is not mandatory for international management.Apart from the extra rest day, Spain may be fresher anyway having finished all of their games in 90 minutes. Argentina have played extra time twice and have logged 794 minutes compared with Spain’s 717. The South Americans faced similar circumstances in Qatar where they played an extra 30 minutes in the quarter-final. Will a squad largely four years older have enough energy in reserve?While temperatures are not expected to be unbearably high, the National Weather Service issued an air-quality alert due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canada. The New York Office of Emergency Management said that air-quality levels in the city had reached “very unhealthy” levels on Thursday, but conditions have improved significantly. Spain have been relatively protected from such environmental factors throughout their campaign, having played one of their seven matches in a fully outdoor stadium. Argentina have played outside three times, including two occasions where temperatures reached 32C.The sides have played once at the tournament, Argentina winning 2-1 in 1966. Luis Artime scored both goals for the South Americans and you can read the Guardian’s report from the match here.

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The reigning champions may need to continue outperforming their xG to overcome Spain’s superb defensive recordThe World Cup final will feature the champions of South America and Europe for the first time. Argentina and Spain sit first and second in Fifa’s world ranking of men’s international teams. Opta’s supercomputer rated Luis de la Fuente’s side as favourites to win the tournament, with their opponents on Sunday deemed fourth likeliest.Both systems had England and France in their top four, suggesting the semi-finals featured the correct teams. But do the statistics from the World Cup indicate we have the best pair for the final?Spain are unbeaten in 37 matches (excluding penalty shootouts) while Argentina have won their past 14 games. That is a reasonable starting point for justification, even before we dig into the data.The teams are, unsurprisingly, among the leaders for expected goals, though both have benefited from penalties. Stripping those out and factoring in time played reveals several teams had better pro-rata records. No team that reached the quarter-finals outperformed their non-penalty xG per 90 minutes by more than Argentina though.Given Spain’s defensive record, Argentina may need that trend to continue if they are to retain their crown. What Spain have achieved in protecting their goal should be talked about for years to come if they win their second World Cup.Spain have conceded 2.15 expected goals, a miserly 0.31 per match. It is comfortably the best record and an elite level of defensive consistency over seven games. Five teams allowed their opponents more than 2.15 xG in their first match, with 41 having crossed that mark by the end of the group stage.If this sounds like a significant advantage for Spain, it is not so clearcut. Argentina were the last of the other 47 teams to concede more than 2.15 xG , doing so when Yasser Ibrahim put Egypt 1-0 up in the last-16. The Argentinians can’t match Spain’s incredible defensive record, but no other team has kept a closer pace.It seems unlikely set pieces will be a factor. These sides are among the best defences in dead-ball situations without having been especially strong in attack. Would you bet against Lionel Messi converting his second direct free-kick goal of the tournament though?If that is unlikely, even for him, Messi has taken the most shots on either side (34, including two penalties). However, Lamine Yamal (23) and Mikel Oyarzabal (22, one penalty) are second and third respectively. While the former can be prone to firing at goal from poor locations, the latter has the best expected goals per shot average for either team (0.15).Or at least he does for those with a shot sample of at least 10; Mikel Merino (0.35) and Lautaro Martínez (0.22) have higher figures and may have a vital role to play from the bench. Both are adept at profiting from big chances in key moments. With the teams being similarly strong, a substitute may well prove decisive.Opta give Spain a 45% chance of winning in 90 minutes with Argentina rated as a 26% shot. The tournament data suggests it should be closer than their prediction implies.

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The rules are simple. Each day there's a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.So take part and return for more tomorrow.Today's player and clues set by BBC Sport's Adam Millington.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026Play more quizzesAll our Who Am I? quizzes in one placeQuiz: Name every nation at the Fifa World Cup 2026Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?World Cup quiz: Name these top nations' leading scorers

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1833 Comments"This is the best England group for a very long time. That's a fact. No-one can take that away from us."England's thrilling 6-4 win against France secured the Three Lions a World Cup bronze medal - their best finish since they won the trophy in 1966 - and left Declan Rice adamant major tournament success is "close".Despite the criticism of Thomas Tuchel's tactics since their painful semi-final collapse against Argentina, stand-in captain Rice was quick to praise England's efforts at the tournament.He added: "I think we can be proud as a group - we are just gutted we lost in that semi-final."We're tired of saying we're proud of coming in semi-finals and quarter-finals - we want to win with England ultimately. But to come third in this tournament is a real achievement."We're so close, honestly. There's been so much talk about this group over the last few years going out of tournaments. There's been semi-final exits, quarter-finals, finals."I think we need to keep going. I do think it's close. It's a game of small margins. It's football and the other night we lost on margins and in the boxes."England's best World Cup for 60 years - but how should it be judged?Defiant Tuchel defends decisions and says loss is 'scar we carry now'The old chestnut of the England team not wanting it enough, not having enough pride or passion, cannot be seen here.The players were clearly delighted with their bronze medals, collected on a podium in Miami then proudly paraded for the travelling fans.Behind the squad's pride are raw emotions, which were bared by assistant manager Anthony Barry during his half-time interview with BBC One on Saturday night - conducted when England were 4-0 up."There's no frustration. I'm a little bit emotional," said Barry, with tears in his eyes and a shaking voice."I can't find the words to describe how proud I am of these players. They're playing a game with broken hearts. I see 11 lads on the field with broken hearts."I've seen them in the hotel the last few days with broken hearts. And they can build a performance like that through pride of playing for England."The team spirit over the last seven weeks has been a privilege to watch. I know what the cynics will say - 'it's too late' - but we're still playing against a world-class opponent. And that 45 minutes, I'm so proud of the boys."'I don't think that we lost the trust'It seems likely that Tuchel will stay as manager for Euro 2028 - which is being co-hosted in England - despite the backlash to his decisions against Argentina.The helter-skelter triumph over France aside, Tuchel still must find a way to fix England's inability to win against elite nations at major tournaments - a run which arguably stretches back to the victory over Argentina in 2002."We have the ability to close it, but they have the ability to open it up again," he told the BBC about bridging the gap to the top nations."Eight years ago, France were the champions. Four years ago, they were in the final. There is a slight gap, but no problem. We want to close it."Regarding the loss to Argentina, Tuchel insists the disappointment is great, but the damage is not terminal."I don't think that we lost the trust. I don't think I lost the trust," he said on Saturday night."Whatever happened in these 30 minutes against Argentina, or maybe 45 minutes in the second half against Argentina when we became too passive... whatever happened, why it happened, whatever happened in the last 10 minutes, we were close - but it's my job to take decisions."We are ferociously competitive, so we almost don't allow ourselves to be proud of third place because we set the highest goal."We set us the highest dream to chase, and we were very ambitious with our dream to make it to the final and win the World Cup, so it is very painful."If you miss out, the pain will stay for a while. Like I said yesterday, the scar will stay. This is how it is in high-level sport."Tuchel can continue to rely on captain Kane - for now.The Bayern Munich striker will be 36 when the next World Cup rolls around, but seems in no mood to hang up his England boots.Kane - who scored six goals at this World Cup, but was an unused substitute against France - told the BBC: "One of the best England groups that I have ever been a part of."When you see the boys around the hotel, when you see us training on the pitch, when you see us in the changing room, it is a unique group. We had that bond and had so much belief in each other."On Tuchel, Kane added: "It is his first major tournament. I think he has learned a lot of the squad, the campaign, the travel and the games and what it takes - the pressure."One of England's wounds that was deepened by the win over France was Tuchel's decision not to send on Bukayo Saka against Argentina.The Arsenal winger, an unused substitute in the semi-final, scored a hat-trick on Saturday against Les Bleus - then afterwards said he is fully fit, having endured some injury worries earlier in the North American campaign."Of course, I would love to have played more but it's too late to talk about that," Saka told BBC One. "I try to do my talking on the pitch and it's done now, move on. I'm fit."On noise around the manager, he said: "I think that's just part of the game... it's how you react to it, how you use it as fuel and today we finished strong and that's all we could really do and we did that."England's twisting World Cup 2026 story has a bittersweet ending - with a thrilling victory in the game no-one wants to be a part of.But how this campaign will ultimately be remembered might not be truly determined until after this team have produced their sequels.Former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One: [Tuchel] will keep his job but I don't think he should. He has failed. They are missing out on a World Cup final because of the tactics, they will be devastated.[There are] so many incredibly wonderfully gifted footballers in our squad and that was why it was so disappointing in that second half against Argentina, because most of them weren't on the pitch.The frustrating thing is this level of forward thinking and creativity [in the win over France] just wasn't there against Argentina.Ex-England and Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock said on BBC One: We all thought Thomas Tuchel was going to be the guy who took the handbrake off.Just disappointed that we retreated so quickly in that game [against Argentina].I think, where was the pace against Argentina? The performance [against France] from Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford and their ability to stretch the pitch... pace kills anyone.It's a defender's worst nightmare and it is so hard to defend against.Former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown told BBC One: Pace and power, it's remarkable to see. But it feels like after the lord mayor's show.Argentina will be watching thinking 'thank goodness Saka didn't come on at all and Rashford didn't come on until late'. Because their pace is frightening.Will he stick with any of these in September? I know it's different circumstances but they have sent out a real message.How did England players rate during the World Cup?Effort, spirit and moments - but do England lack all-round quality?False nines or firing forwards - England's potential life after Kane

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France beaten 6-4 on ‘very emotional’ day for squad‘This will help – but you never fully celebrate bronze’Thomas Tuchel has said England’s players can be proud of their efforts after a thrilling 6-4 victory over France sealed third place at the World Cup for the first time.England raced into a 4-0 lead at half-time thanks to goals from Declan Rice – the stand-in captain – Ezri Konsa and two from Bukayo Saka. But they were pegged back to within one goal after Didier Deschamps, taking charge of his final France game after 14 years, rang the changes at the break. Kylian Mbappé took his tally at this tournament to 10 goals and 22 at World Cups in total as he pushed to win a second successive Golden Boot and surpassed Lionel Messi’s all-time record. The Argentina forward will have a chance to overhaul him in Sunday’s final against Spain.Saka completed his hat-trick before Ousmane Dembélé made it 5-4 in injury-time and it was left to Jude Bellingham to have the final say after coming off the bench with his seventh goal of the tournament – the most by an England player at a World Cup.England were within five minutes plus stoppages of reaching their first World Cup final on foreign soil until Messi inspired the reigning champions’ late comeback in Atlanta on Wednesday. Tuchel, who was booed by some supporters when his name was read out before kick-off here, said in the buildup to this match that England had to show they were capable of cutting the gap to the leading nations. After hanging on for the win against the 2018 world champions, he has challenged his players to keep improving, starting with their Nations League meeting with Spain at Wembley on 26 September.“This game will help us for sure – even if you can never fully celebrate a bronze medal,” Tuchel said. “It’s the first [World Cup] medal for 60 years, first [at a] World Cup on foreign soil, and I hope the players can be proud of that at some point. We set ourselves the highest dream to chase, and we were very, very ambitious with our dream to make the final in the World Cup. So it’s very, very painful if you miss out, the pain will stay for a while.”Tuchel revealed that Jordan Henderson had delivered a speech before the game that had helped to put their achievement in perspective. “He put us in the right frame of mind, with everyone in one mindset. It was unbelievable because today was very emotional. We built something very special in the last seven weeks, and we’ll never negotiate on that. I still stand by my words, that we need to play better football, manage games better under pressure, take better decisions under pressure. We need to defend more economically.”Tuchel’s assistant, Anthony Barry, had given an emotional half-time interview when England were 4-0 up when he expressed surprise at the level of the performance given that they were “playing a game with broken hearts”. “The cynics will say it’s too late but we still play against a world-class opponent and I’m so proud of the boys,” he told the BBC. “There’s 45 minutes to go. The game’s not done. Anything can happen. But I’m proud of the team and I hope everyone is as well at home.”Saka was an unused substitute against Argentina and the Arsenal forward admitted he was disappointed not to have been involved. “Of course I would love to have played more but it’s too late to talk about that,” he said. “I try to do my talking on the pitch and it’s done now – let’s move on.“We fell short against Argentina. It hurts a lot. I’m sure it’s the same for the fans back home. We have to hold our heads high and move on. Obviously we’re both quite disappointed to not be in the final but it was about finishing strong and for us giving the country the best position in the World Cup they have finished for 60 years, so we’re happy with the final result.”Zinedine Zidane is poised to take over from Deschamps, who became only the third person to win the World Cup as a player and manager and said he was departing with no regrets after reaching the 2018 and 2022 finals.“I could have changed eight of them at half-time,” he joked about his team’s first-half display. “It is the end of a journey that has represented the most beautiful period of my life. I always put the French team first. You can be called by the best clubs in the world but there is nothing above this national team. We have faced the greatest moments and I’m hoping for the team to reach new levels when I’m gone.”

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To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedClose274Bukayo Saka scores a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 in a thriller to record their best men's World Cup finish since 1966.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFranceFollow Franceclose panelYou are now following FranceUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

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41 CommentsJude Bellingham became the first Englishman to score seven goals at a single World Cup with a late strike in the 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off.The Real Madrid midfielder was level with both Gary Lineker - who scored six times at Mexico '86 - and team-mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.Bellingham, 23, was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line to the France box before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner."He has such confidence in his own ability," former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. "The patience, the skill, the shot. What a goal from England's best player."Twelve minutes earlier he had looked set to take a penalty but instead handed the ball to Bukayo Saka who converted to seal his hat-trick.After the match, Saka told BBC One: "No, Jude [Bellingham] was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it."When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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Saturday's thrilling, and at times ridiculous, 6-4 win against France in the 'bronze final' means England's men secured their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament 60 years ago.The Three Lions started this tournament ranked fourth in the world and ended with a third-place finish - reaching the semi-finals for just the third time since 1966.But amid reports of in-squad disagreements over manager Thomas Tuchel's tactics and a second-half semi-final collapse against Argentina, how should their 2026 campaign be viewed?Has their second-best World Cup ever been under-appreciated? Or was this another missed opportunity?Chief football writerThis may have been England's best World Cup for 60 years, but at best it was par for the course and at worst a failure.It is being judged as exactly what it was. A bitter disappointment.Head coach Tuchel was brought in to get over the barriers that have blocked England at World Cups before, so this was simply the same old story when they went out to Argentina in the semi-final.Tuchel, for all the knockout expertise during his club coaching career, failed when the pressure was on.And there was an added layer of disappointment that Tuchel and England's players contributed so much to their own downfall with such a passive strategy against Argentina that led to defeat.This is why, when this World Cup is reviewed - both now and in the future - it will be regarded as a disappointment, another major tournament when England once again fell short when it mattered.Best England team for a long time? That's a fact, says RiceTuchel has spoken often about the "brotherhood" within the camp - they've had to lean on that connection in recent days. There was a genuine belief that this was their time.To have the chance to play in a World Cup final snatched from you in that fashion will take a while to digest.Speaking at half-time during the third-place play-off against France, assistant manager Anthony Barry said: "They're playing a game with broken hearts. I see 11 lads on the field with broken hearts."There are also misgivings about how Tuchel set up the team during the closing stages of the loss to Argentina.Tuchel's substitutions and tactical switches were deemed too defensive by certain players in the camp - and that has given members of the squad something to discuss privately in recent days.Senior football correspondentIn the moments immediately after the Argentina game, the Football Association quickly re-affirmed its backing of Tuchel.As things stand the intention is for the German to remain in charge for Euro 2028. As always there will be an end-of-tournament review where you'd imagine the defeat by Argentina will be discussed.But you do wonder if player discontent at his perceived defensive tweaks in that semi-final loss and the angry fan reaction changes the direction of travel.Tuchel was booed by supporters in Miami when his name was read out before kick-off before the France game. The anger towards Tuchel from supporters is still raw, of course.But if it doesn't quell - then you wonder what impact that may have on the FA's thinking.No surprises that Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham get a mention. They dragged England through some games - the wins over DR Congo, Mexico and Norway come to mind.Without them would England have got as far as the semi-finals?Real Madrid's Bellingham ended the tournament with seven goals, one ahead of Kane. It remains to be seen if the Bayern Munich striker, who will be 36 by the 2030 tournament, has one more World Cup finals in him.An honourable mention should also go to Djed Spence. The Tottenham full-back followed up a decent performance against Norway with another against Argentina, which included a goal-saving challenge to stop Giuliano Simeone that left many asking: was that the tackle of the tournament?Both Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka ended the World Cup with three assists each, but did we really see the best of Saka? At 24 there will be more World Cups to come for the Arsenal winger.Once again England are departing a World Cup disappointed. It will be 64 years since they last won it when the tournament in Morocco, Portugal and Spain comes around in 2030.Chief football writerEngland have to find the management and mentality to somehow take themselves somewhere they have never been since 1966.Tuchel built a side in a Premier League image with lots of physicality and moulded around their two world-class players - Bellingham and Kane.As yet, however, there is no clear idea or pattern of how they can reshape quickly before Euro 2028 and actually win a tournament.And, of course, they will face France and Spain at those Euros.Tuchel needs to find a way to make England more potent and resilient, less one-dimensional, and he will be able to draft in the emerging, brilliant talents of Liverpool's 17-year-old forward Rio Ngumoah and Arsenal's Max Dowman, only 16.The head coach did appear to let the handbrake off against France on Saturday (admittedly in a game with little pressure) and his rejigged side proved they can dazzle in attack with their six-goal display.Nevertheless, clouds still hang over how England solve this puzzle after another failure - and the pressure is on Tuchel to come up with the answers.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026More on this storyHow did England players rate during the World Cup?

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Close13417England manager praises his players despite a topsy-turvy match, as England beat France 6-4 for third place in the 2026 World Cup.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FranceFollow France

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97 CommentsA Golden Boot race for the ages has the perfect finale - it will go down to the final match of the tournament.Kylian Mbappe's two goals in France's incredible 6-4 defeat by England in the third-place play-off moved him two goals clear of Lionel Messi, but the Argentine still has one match left to respond.And if the 39-year-old can score twice in the final against Spain, he will take the Golden Boot by virtue of having more assists.Anything less and Mbappe, 27, will become the first player to scoop the prize twice.That is before we even mention the fight between the two men to be the World Cup's all-time scorer.Mbappe now leads that race on 22 goals with Messi one behind.Mbappe's double against England took him to 10 for the tournament - the most in a single edition of the World Cup this century. The last player to make it into double figures at a men's World Cup was Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970.And to put that feat further into context, prior to this tournament only eight players had scored eight or more goals at a single World Cup - Muller, Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis, Ademir, Eusebio, Guillermo Stabile, Ronaldo and Mbappe.The 2026 World Cup has certainly been a tournament for the stars.England talisman Jude Bellingham's goal against France moved him into third in the Golden Boot standings on seven - the most an Englishman has scored at a single World Cup.That edged him ahead of Erling Haaland by virtue of assists, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane one goal further back alongside France's Ousmane Dembele.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026FranceArgentinaMore on this storySaka hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 in thriller to finish thirdHow coach-on-pitch Messi undid England's tactics on the flyThe classroom moment that bonds finalists De la Fuente & Scaloni forever

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604 CommentsUpdated 8 hours agoEngland finished the World Cup by beating France 6-4 in an extraordinary third-place play-off.BBC Sport England reporter Alex Howell rates how the players did throughout the tournament.Jordan Pickford: The Everton goalkeeper is undoubtedly England's number one and has proven he can deal with being on the big stage. However, this was not Pickford's best tournament and he produced some erratic moments. His best performance came in the semi-final loss to Argentina, but he will question himself over Enzo Fernandez's goal. 6Dean Henderson: England's second-choice goalkeeper came to the tournament in form. Henderson started the bronze-medal match against France, producing an excellent save to deny Kylian Mbappe but conceding four goals. 6James Trafford: Came to the tournament as third choice and did not feature but travelling to a World Cup is good experience. N/AEzri Konsa: The Aston Villa defender featured in every game and continued to show he has the quality for international football. A starting centre-back and also played at right-back in the win over Norway in the quarter-finals. He ended the tournament with a goal in the third-place play-off. 7John Stones: It was considered a gamble by Thomas Tuchel to take Stones considering his fitness issues. He started the first game, had some shaky moments and dropped out for the next couple. But he regrouped and started the quarter-final win over Norway and semi-final defeat by Argentina. The 32-year-old showed his quality but was caught under the ball for Lautaro Martinez's winner. 7Marc Guehi: A staple of the England backline at major tournaments. Guehi did not start the opening game against Croatia but when he came in he showed his usual calmness and quality. Guehi put in an excellent performance against Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland in the quarter-final against Norway and performed well until England went out. 8Trevoh Chalobah: The Chelsea defender was called up as a replacement for Tino Livramento. It was a decision that prompted a lot of debate as it was felt it left England short in the full-back areas. Chalobah was brought on in the closing stages of the win over France for his only minutes of the tournament. 5 Jarell Quansah: This was Quansah's first major tournament and he was arguably a surprise pick in the 26-man squad. But the Bayer Leverkusen defender did show why Tuchel was so keen to have him as a full-back option. Quansah started well against Panama before getting injured, then did likewise against Mexico before he was sent off. He returned for the third-place play-off, and has a bright international future. 6Dan Burn: The Newcastle defender's inclusion was the subject of much debate but his performance against Mexico underlined the reasoning. Burn's aerial prowess gave England a way to see out games, though Tuchel turned to that tactic too early when trying to see out a win against Argentina. 6.5Nico O'Reilly: This was the 21-year-old's first tournament and he grew into it after a nervy opening match. O'Reilly only became England's first-choice left-back in November, and to go from that to a World Cup and start five of the eight matches is very impressive. O'Reilly is very good on the ball but could improve defensively. 6.5Reece James: The Chelsea captain said it was "boring" when people discussed his fitness, but the first-choice right-back missed three games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Ghana. He recovered to play in the quarter-final and semi-final, and showed his quality. 6.5Djed Spence: The Tottenham full-back was one of England's breakout players of the tournament. Spence's ability to play at both left-back and right-back is extremely valuable in tournament football. He is a very good one-v-one defender and his pace gives an outlet to the team. He produced two of his best performances in the quarter-final and semi-final. Spence also played well against France, winning a penalty. 8Declan Rice: The Arsenal midfielder had to battle with his fitness throughout the tournament. He put his body on the line while nursing a hamstring problem and started the quarter-final after illness. He imposed himself on games physically but this was perhaps not his best tournament in possession. Rice captained the side in the third-place play-off, scoring and providing an assist. 7.5 Jude Bellingham: England's talisman. Bellingham went to another level during this World Cup and showed how important he is and will be in the future. He has superstar quality with the mentality to match. He scored seven goals - the last an excellent individual effort against France - and now holds the record for the most goals by an Englishman at a World Cup. 9Jordan Henderson: The Brentford midfielder became the first Englishman to feature at four World Cups, but his tournament ended in bizarre fashion. Henderson fell over an advertising hoarding and broke his arm after the win over Mexico. He stayed with the group after surgery but was never a viable option after that. 4Elliot Anderson: It was a big ask for Anderson to be the starting number six for England. He did it well, starting every game apart from the third-place play-off. His best game in possession was against Argentina, but if England are to get over the line in a major tournament they will need him to be more of a controller. 7Kobbie Mainoo: The only outfield player to not get any minutes, with the Football Association saying he missed the third-place play-off with an injury. N/ABukayo Saka: The Arsenal winger came into the tournament nursing an Achilles issue and admitted it would be a "gamble" for him. He showed his quality in flashes but wasn't able to show his top level consistently, though did score a hat-trick in the third-place play-off against France. 7.5Morgan Rogers: Was the focus of much attention coming into the tournament and played in every position behind the striker. He played a big part in both the quarter-final and semi-final, when his assist for Anthony Gordon had England fans dreaming. Rogers has quality and his physicality is a real asset. 7.5Anthony Gordon: The Barcelona winger admitted he had a slow start to the tournament but grew into it to have some massive moments. He followed two assists in the win over DR Congo by earning the penalty for what proved to be the winner in Mexico, then produced an assist for the equaliser against Norway and scored the opener against Argentina in the semi-final. Gordon can be pleased with his impact. 8Eberechi Eze: It was a quiet tournament for Eze but he still offers something different off the bench. He came on as a half-time substitute against Norway but things didn't work out. He was given a start in the third-place play-off and performed well in midfield, setting up Saka for England's fourth. 6.5Ollie Watkins: The Aston Villa striker was only given six minutes against Panama before being brought on at half-time against France. It could be argued his ability to run in behind the defence should have been used against Argentina. 5Noni Madueke: His call-up was one that prompted most discussion but his unique skillset means he is an asset. His constant direct running and dribbling mean he is highly valued by Tuchel. Madueke won the penalty in opening match with Croatia for England's first goal of the tournament. 6Ivan Toney: The Al Ahli striker was a surprise inclusion in the squad, clearly brought for his penalty-taking ability. Toney was thrown on in the dying moments as England chased an equaliser against Argentina, then started the third-placed play-off. 6Marcus Rashford: A mixed tournament for Rashford, who scored in England's opening game off the bench. He was substituted during the match with DR Congo, then used for one minute as England tried to salvage the match against Argentina. He produced some bright moments against France - and an assist for Saka. 6.5Harry Kane: Another tournament in which the England captain delivered goals. His six before the quarter-final had England fans dreaming it could be their year. Kane also provided an assist for Bellingham in the win over Mexico, but that match and the Norway game going to extra time seemed to take a lot out of him and he was not at his best against Argentina. 8.5When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportFalse nines or firing forwards - England's potential life after Kane