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Mbappé and Doué. Bellingham and Kane. A World Cup title isn’t on the line, but two heavyweights are still facing off.
France and England will look to end their respective 2026 FIFA World Cup campaigns on high note when they play in the tournament’s third-place game on Saturday at Miami Stadium. Both teams are coming off heartbreaking disappointments in the semifinals but will look to turn the page to build momentum for upcoming UEFA Nations League games and eventually Euro 2028.
On Tuesday, France was thoroughly outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Spain, which will take on Argentina in the World Cup final. France’s elite offensive players were never able to get into the game, as Spain had all the answers in its airtight system.
The following day, England suffered its own heartbreak when it took a 1-0 lead over Argentina, only to see La Albiceleste rally with two late goals for a 2-1 win.
Those defeats now set the stage for Saturday, and here is everything you need to know about the World Cup’s bronze-medal game.
How To Watch France vs. England
The third-place match has been a long tradition for the World Cup, even though it is typically played in the context of disappointment. There are exceptions, like at the 1994 World Cup when Sweden defeated Bulgaria in a matchup between teams that were thrilled just to have made the semifinals. The same could be said in 2002 when Türkiye defeated South Korea in the best World Cup run for either team. In those games, there was a very positive atmosphere among teams and players.
This game, however, will not be like those editions because both France and England held ambitious goals to win this tournament. Winning this game offers little consolation to these squads and their fans. Also, the conditions of the game will be difficult as both teams will be playing in the heat of South Florida on short rest. It remains to be seen what approaches Didier Deschamps and Thomas Tuchel will take.
France vs. England: Les Bleus’ Key Storylines
For France, there are two key storylines.
First, this will be the final France game head coach Didier Deschamps. As a player, Deschamps won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championships in 2000 for France. As the national team’s manager since 2012, he won the World Cup in 2018, the Nations League in 2020-21, and was the runner-up to the World Cup in 2022. He will now look to cap off his very successful tenure with his 122nd win in charge.
The second storyline for France is Kylian Mbappé’s race to become the tournament’s leading scorer and, perhaps, overtake Lionel Messi’s all-time record for most World Cup goals. Mbappé has eight goals in this tournament, which is tied with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race. On the career mark, Mbappé has 20 World Cup goals compared with 21 for Messi.
The third-place game is historically high-scoring and open. It typically makes for a fun game to watch as most teams aggressively attack. For England fans, that will be especially welcome news as Tuchel has faced a wave of criticism for how he became overly defensive against Argentina after taking the lead early in the second half. Any team that tries to get into an open and offensive battle with France is risking a disaster, but England might take that chance without severe consequences.
It is not the game either team would prefer to be playing, but it should be fun and offer silver-linings to the winner.
France vs. England: Three Lions’ Key Storylines
For England, there is more at stake. A win in this game would give the Three Lions their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966. A win over France would also be one of the team’s best victories in years.
In this tournament, England had wins over a solid Croatia side, a strong Norway squad and a Mexico team that is very good at home. A win over France would be an impressive feat, even if it comes in a third-place game.
For the Three Lions, there is also a strong eye toward 2028, when they will co-host the European Championships along with Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Playing at home would heavily increase their chances of winning their first Euro title and its major tournament since 1966, when they also hosted the event. A win over France could be the first step in what is an important two years for the program.
Tuchel will have to make some important decisions regarding his lineup. England will be playing on short rest having only lost to Argentina on Wednesday. Prior to that game, England had hard-fought and draining wins over Mexico in Mexico City and then in extra time against Norway.
It’s likely several typical starters could begin the game on the bench. The last thing Tuchel needs is to risk injury as the players prepare to return to their clubs for preseason. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Declan Rice have worked exceptionally hard recently and might be viewed as talented substitute options.
Players To Watch
The Manchester City attacking midfielder is full of promise for the French team but played only limited minutes at this World Cup due to playing behind Michael Olise. If Deschamps is going to change things for the third-place game, Cherki would be a good place to begin, as he is likely anxious to make a positive impression and build a case for more minutes in the coming years.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger is another testament to the depth of this French team. As one of the most accomplished young players in the world, with two Champions League titles under his belt by the age of 20 (he turned 21 just before the start of this tournament), he is not a regular starter for France. At this tournament, he only started three of France’s first seven games. In those starts, he scored against Norway and assisted against Morocco. He could thrive in this third-place game if it becomes wide open, as is likely. Like Cherki, he is a big part of the team’s future.
The Tottenham fullback has played in all of England’s seven games and has made two starts. Defensively, he was strong off the bench in helping preserve the wins over Mexico and Norway in the knockouts. He might be rewarded with a start in this game to try to handle the powerful French attack.
In a game that should be offensively heavy, Rogers should have a chance to show what he can do. The Aston Villa attacker assisted on Anthony Gordon’s goal against Argentina and worked well with Jude Bellingham. Rogers typically plays on the outside when Bellingham is on the field but moves centrally when Bellingham is not playing. In this game, he might have the keys to the attack if Bellingham is used as a sub.
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