Saka shows Tuchel why he’s too good to leave out
England's Bukayo Saka responded emphatically to his World Cup semi-final benching by scoring a hat-trick in the third-place playoff against France, inspiring a thrilling 6-4 victory. Playing after three days on the sidelines, the Arsenal winger struck twice in the first half and converted a penalty to complete his treble, becoming only the fourth England player ever to achieve this feat at a World Cup and just the second in the knockout stages. The performance reignited debate about whether Tuchel's decision to field Morgan Rogers in the semi-final against Argentina had been justified, especially after Argentina mounted a dramatic comeback to win 2-1.
Tuchel defended his selection, emphasising that benching Saka reflected careful injury management rather than a loss of confidence. The manager noted the winger had entered the tournament managing a persistent Achilles problem from an injury-disrupted club season and required cautious handling, unable to train fully daily. Tuchel stressed that Saka remained a key player whilst acknowledging the difficulty of the semi-final decision, which he said was influenced by Rogers' physicality against Argentina.
- Saka scored a hat-trick in England's third-place playoff victory over France (6-4), after being left unused on the bench during the semi-final loss to Argentina
- Manager Tuchel attributed the benching to cautious management of Saka's persistent Achilles injury, describing him as a key player
- England achieved their best World Cup result since 1966
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates for starting Saka argue he is one of the most reliably productive attackers in the squad, someone whose direct running, end product and big-match temperament had already been proven over a long stretch of high-pressure football. They value continuity and rewarding form and consistency shown over months, believing a manager's job is to put his most in-form, tested performers on the pitch for the biggest games rather than gamble on freshness or tactical variety at the semi-final stage. From this perspective, the hat-trick simply confirmed what the numbers and eye test already suggested he should never have been left out.
The case against
Those sympathetic to Tuchel's decision point out that a head coach must weigh factors beyond a single player's raw output, including squad freshness, specific tactical match-ups against that particular semi-final opponent, and squad harmony over a long tournament. They argue that hindsight bias unfairly punishes a manager for a reasoned selection call made with information available at the time, and that occasionally resting or rotating a key player, even a highly talented one, can be a legitimate strategic choice aimed at the team's long-term tournament success rather than any single match.