England internal strife: £110 million star nets hat-trick then questions manager - "I wasn't injured against Argentina, confused about being dropped"

The World Cup third-place match on July 19 Beijing time ended with England defeating France 6-4, earning their first third-place finish and their best World Cup performance in almost six decades. The 24-year-old England winger Bukayo Saka recorded a hat-trick in this contest.

In the first half, Saka scored twice in the 37th minute and the first minute of added time, temporarily giving England a 4-0 advantage. After France cut the deficit to 3-4, Saka converted a penalty to secure the victory for England.

According to post-match statistics, Saka had five shots, four on target, and scored three goals. He also made three key passes and earned a high rating of 9.5, unsurprisingly being named the official man of the match.

With this hat-trick, Saka set multiple records. First, he is the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup third-place match, following Just Fontaine in 1958.

Second, Saka is the second England player after Sir Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout stage match.

Third, Saka is the fourth England player to score a World Cup hat-trick, after Hurst, Gary Lineker, and Harry Kane.

Fourth, Saka is the second player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick against France, following Pelé in 1958.

After the match, Saka appeared to criticize manager Thomas Tuchel in an interview regarding his omission from the semi-final: "My body is fine; the Achilles injury didn't bother me. I was fully capable of playing in the semi-final. I had hoped for more playing time, but it's too late to discuss that now. I have to prove myself on the pitch. The past is behind us; we need to look forward."

Indeed, in this World Cup, Saka made seven appearances; the only match he missed was the crucial loss to Argentina.

Imagine if Saka had come on late in that game, using his presence up front to occupy Argentina's defense—perhaps England could have avoided the tragedy of being overturned.