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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Bukayo Saka‘s hat trick helped England survive a dramatic second-half comeback to beat France 6-4 in Saturday’s chaotic third-place playoff and secure their best finish at a World Cup since 1966. England were 4-0 up at the break in Miami as a shambolic France side were dismantled through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and two Saka strikes. Both teams made seven changes following their semifinal…

Kylian Mbappé has equalled Lionel Messi‘s all-time World Cup goalscoring record as he scored his 21st goal in the tournament during France‘s third-place playoff against England on Saturday. France endured a nightmare first half as they trailed 4-0 after the opening 45 minutes. Mbappé’s first-time finish in the 48th minute gave his team faint hope of a stunning comeback. Messi became the highest goalscorer in World Cup history in Argentina‘s…

Hydration breaks first used at the 2026 World Cup did not affect the flow of play and had no impact on results of matches but their future remains to be decided, Arsène Wenger, FIFA global football development chief, said on Saturday. The three-minute breaks midway through each half, which FIFA mandated for every game at this year’s World Cup but are not yet ubiquitous throughout soccer. But they are likely…

Last-minute tickets to see Lionel Messi and Argentina face off against Lamine Yamal and Spain in the FIFA World Cup final range from $10,000 to $60,000. FIFA’s official ticket resale site listed its cheapest tickets Saturday morning at $6,411.25 for a mid-level view behind the goal. Those disappeared by lunchtime. Tickets in the corners of the upper deck were listed for nearly $10,000. To get much closer to the action,…

Thomas Tuchel has made seven changes to the England team that lost the World Cup semifinal against Argentina on Wednesday, with Ivan Toney among those in the Three Lions’ starting XI for the third-place playoff against France.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say. Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily…

Andrey Santos made a bright first Manchester United appearance as they fell to a 1-0 pre-season friendly loss to Wrexham in Helsinki. Sam Smith scored the only goal with an easy finish six minutes before half-time, moments after heading against his own crossbar defending a corner. United were without the players who have featured at this summer’s World Cup — including new signing Youri Tielemans — as well as Benjamin…

Chelsea are set to make Morgan Rogers the most expensive player in British history after agreeing a £117 million ($157.28m) deal with Aston Villa, sources have told ESPN. Arsenal were ready to step up their interest in the 23-year-old but Chelsea have moved quickly to seal an agreement following England‘s World Cup semifinal exit to Argentina. Sources have told ESPN that Rogers wanted to wait until after England’s fate was…

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez admitted he’s been playing through pain in his right hand throughout the World Cup after avoiding a recommended operation in order to participate in the tournament. “No, it still hurts every day. I knew it was going to hurt a lot. I avoided surgery,” Martínez said on Friday. “All the specialists I consulted told me I had to have surgery or I wouldn’t be able…

Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has suggested that Argentina are prone to using “aggressive tactics” in games, ahead of the World Cup final on Sunday. Speaking to Spanish publication MARCA, Laporte was asked if he was worried about Argentina’s “aggression.” He said: “I’m not at all worried about aggression in football. If it’s tolerated and the referee does his job, I have no problem with it. It’s true that in recent…