Overview
- Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 to claim third place at the World Cup, finishing the match having played the full 90 minutes.
- Saka told the BBC that he is fit and ready for Arsenal pre-season and that he would have liked to play more for England.
- Tournament totals widely reported show Saka played 356 minutes and registered three goals and three assists, averaging a direct goal contribution roughly every 59 minutes.
- Tuchel left Saka unused in England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina and later said he picked Morgan Rogers because he had a “feeling,” a decision that prompted criticism from former players and pundits.
- The outcome and Saka’s social-media activity that briefly liked a post critical of Tuchel add pressure on England’s management and force Arsenal to weigh Saka’s declared fitness against careful pre-season load management.