Gary Lineker has predicted that England can win Euro 2028 after they thrashed France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place match in Miami, securing their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966.
Lineker's Bold Prediction
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said: "I told you this was the game we'd all been waiting for. England have put six past France and finished third at the World Cup, confirming their best ever performance since 1966." He added: "It was a good way for England to finish the tournament. It felt a bit like a testimonial game, but all in all, it was actually very entertaining."
Lineker then made his prediction: "To be honest, after the levels of that performance, it's hard not to see us winning the Euros." He burst into laughter, and Micah Richards told him to "stop it."
Bukayo Saka's Hat-Trick and Omission
One of the major talking points was Bukayo Saka's absence from the starting XI in the semi-final defeat to Argentina. Saka scored a hat-trick in the third-place match against France, making his omission even more puzzling.
After the game, Saka told the BBC: "Of course, I would love to have played more. But of course, it's not the time to talk about that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It's done now. Move on." When asked if he was fully fit, Saka replied: "Yeah. I'm fit. I'm fit."
Thomas Tuchel admitted he felt obliged to manage Saka's minutes due to injury concerns, but Saka's performance raised questions about that decision.
Analysis from Lineker, Richards, and Shearer
Lineker asked his panel: "What about Saka? He got a hat-trick but he didn't play a minute in the semi-final. You thought, if he's protecting him then he won't play a minute in the third-place game. But he does and he scores an excellent hat-trick. What do you think?"
Micah Richards replied: "I understand why Tuchel played Rogers in that game. For the transition, but for him not to come on, talking about Saka and his fitness, his and Rice's fitness all tournament has been a question. But for him not to feature, is just bizarre and I can't get my head around why."
Lineker interjected: "You know when he's been on the pitch, he's got a goal and an assist every 59 minutes that he's played. Three goals and three assists."
Alan Shearer added: "We were always told he wasn't quite right, that he wasn't 100 per cent fit. If he wasn't fit then he wasn't going to start him. It was strange he never came on in the semi-final and then to start today. It was brilliant for him to score a hat-trick."
