MIAMI, June 18: France and England will face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off on Saturday after both sides suffered semi-final defeats and missed out on a place in the final.
While the bronze-medal match offers a chance to finish the tournament on a positive note, both teams had entered the competition with hopes of lifting the World Cup trophy.
France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, saw their bid for a third consecutive World Cup final come to an end after a convincing defeat to Spain in Tuesday’s semi-final.
England, meanwhile, were just minutes away from reaching the final before Argentina produced a dramatic comeback to overturn the deficit and secure victory in Wednesday’s semi-final.
The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will take place on Sunday, leaving France and England to compete for third place in Miami.
France will enter the contest as slight favourites, having won their last World Cup meeting against England. Les Bleus defeated the Three Lions 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a match remembered for Harry Kane scoring one penalty before missing another late in the game.
Saturday’s encounter also provides another opportunity for France captain Kylian Mbappé to strengthen his remarkable World Cup goalscoring record. Mbappé is currently level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi on eight goals at the 2026 tournament and is closing in on Messi in the all-time FIFA World Cup scoring charts.
Although the third-place play-off does not carry the prestige of the final, both European giants will be eager to end their World Cup campaign with a victory and secure the bronze medal.
