Bukayo Saka Scored a Hat-Trick for England After Being Benched. He’s Not Happy About It.

Bukayo Saka just dropped a hat-trick in England’s 6-4 win over France in the World Cup third-place playoff. And honestly, the guy sounds conflicted about the whole thing.

The Arsenal winger was practically invisible for most of the tournament. He showed up to camp with an Achilles issue, got healthy, and then watched Thomas Tuchel roll with Noni Madueke and Morgan Rogers instead. In the semifinal loss to Argentina, Saka didn’t even get off the bench while England chased the game. That had to sting.

So when he finally got the start against France and scored three goals — two before halftime and a late penalty — you’d think it was all redemption and joy. But Saka’s postgame comments suggest there’s some real frustration underneath the hat trick.

‘Too late to talk about that’

Asked if he felt he could’ve played a bigger role in England’s run, Saka didn’t sugarcoat it.

“Of course, I would have loved to have played more, but it is too late to talk about that,” he said. “I have to do my talking on the pitch. It’s done now and move on.”

That’s about as direct as you’ll get from a guy who usually plays it safe with the media. He also made clear the Achilles is a non-issue now: “I’m fit, I’m fit.” Which raises the obvious question — if he was healthy, why wasn’t he playing?

Tuchel’s explanation doesn’t totally add up

Tuchel had an interesting answer when asked why Saka didn’t see the field against Argentina. He said he felt Morgan Rogers “would be involved in something special.” Rogers didn’t score or assist in that game. England lost 3-1.

On Saka’s hat trick, Tuchel admitted he didn’t even realize it was a hat trick. “I wasn’t aware he had a hat-trick. I lost the overview of the goalscorers, but brilliant,” Tuchel said. It’s a weird quote when you think about it — the head coach not tracking who’s scoring in a six-goal game.

Look, maybe Tuchel had his reasons. Maybe Saka wasn’t 100 percent in training. But watching England struggle to create chances against Argentina and then seeing Saka torch France for three goals has to leave fans wondering what could’ve been. The team came home with a bronze medal, but if you ask Saka, that feels more like a consolation prize than a celebration.