Saka: Although many players may not want to play in the third-place match, I am happy to be able to play.

In the third-place match of the 2026 World Cup, England defeated France 6-4. The England winger, who scored a hat-trick in the match, was interviewed by reporters in the mixed zone after the game.

Bukayo, heartfelt congratulations! You became the fourth England player in history to score a hat-trick in the World Cup. This is also England's best result in the World Cup since 1966 (third place). After the ups and downs of the past few days, how special is this for you personally and for the team?

Yes, I want to say that as a team, this is something we've discussed. Considering our performance in this tournament, we deserved a strong finish. England achieved their highest World Cup ranking in 60 years, and the team deserved it. That's our mentality, and you saw it in the first half—we played a perfect first half and ultimately won the game. On a personal level, I also put in a tremendous amount of effort to prepare for this tournament and be ready to create moments like this. For me, it's a remarkable achievement. As you said, only three other England players have done it before, and I'm very proud to have that record.

What's the atmosphere like in the locker room? I know you went through a lot after losing to Argentina. Does that help ease the pain of that defeat? How do you communicate with each other in the locker room?

I don't think anything can lessen the pain we felt that night. To be honest, that defeat really hurt us. But today's theme is about maintaining professionalism and finishing strong. This team has incredible cohesion, and we showed that mentality. We can be proud of achieving England's second-best World Cup result in history.

Bukayo, to what extent can the kind of pain you mentioned translate into motivation for the England team in the next major tournament? How much do you want to continue following this manager in the next major tournament?

I think looking back on this experience will definitely be a driving force for us in the next major tournament. We showed our strength, and I believe and felt it; we made England believe we could do it. That belief hasn't left us, and we will be back in the next major tournament, striving to cross the finish line.

Saka, congratulations. How important was this hat trick to you?

This match was crucial to our victory and our strong finish. Personally, while many players might not have wanted to play (the third-place match), I was happy to play, get more playing time, and enjoy the final game of the World Cup. The World Cup is held only once every four years, and I'm delighted to receive a hat-trick as a reward and go down in history. I'm proud to have achieved this.

Hi Bukayo. Many commentators said you played too conservatively against Argentina. What was the main change in your six goals against France tonight? Thank you.

These are two completely different matches. The semifinals were all about everything, with immense pressure. Today's match was much less stressful. Our lineups were also different, with many different factors at play. Ultimately, regardless of which 11 players the coach chooses, we have to deliver a performance. I don't want to create any drama here; it's just the way things are, and we have to move forward.

Bukayo, how did you feel in the second half? Was it a chaotic period for you, or were you simply enjoying the game and capturing every moment?

Overall, it was an interesting match. However, the first 30 minutes of the second half were tough; we conceded three goals. We weren't performing as well as in the first half, and the French team, with their superior strength, punished us. Thankfully, we woke up after conceding three goals, regained control of the game, and scored two more. Ultimately, this helped us win the match.