France, England Seek World Cup Consolation in Third-Place Playoff

Posted : 17 July 2026

France and England will aim to finish their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaigns on a positive note when they meet in the third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday. While neither side reached the final they had hoped for, the match offers both teams the opportunity to leave the tournament with a bronze medal after painful semi-final defeats.

France entered the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy but saw their ambitions ended by a 2-0 loss to Spain in the semi-finals. The defeat also sets the stage for Didier Deschamps' final game as France head coach, bringing to a close a successful 14-year spell that included the 2018 World Cup title and three consecutive World Cup semi-final appearances. Deschamps is expected to rotate his squad, although captain Kylian Mbappe is likely to lead the attack as he continues his pursuit of the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals in the tournament. Defender William Saliba is expected to miss the match because of injury.

England, meanwhile, were on course for a place in the final after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead against Argentina, but the Three Lions surrendered control of the match and eventually suffered a 2-1 defeat. Manager Thomas Tuchel admitted that players from both teams would rather have been preparing for the final but insisted England would approach the playoff professionally as they look to respond positively. Jarell Quansah returns from suspension, while several fringe players, including Trevor Chalobah, Kobbie Mainoo, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, could feature.

Mbappe acknowledged that France fell short against Spain because they were unable to impose their pressing game or match their opponents technically. Despite the disappointment, the France captain remains in contention for individual honours and could strengthen his case for both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball with another influential performance.

For England, Gordon has emerged as one of the team's standout performers during the knockout rounds and will be looking to cap an impressive tournament with another strong display. The Newcastle winger's goal against Argentina underlined his growing importance to Tuchel's side as England seeks its best World Cup finish since 2018.

Historically, England holds the advantage in this rivalry, winning 17 of the 32 meetings between the two nations, while France has claimed 10 victories and five matches have ended in draws. Their most recent World Cup encounter came in the 2022 quarter-finals, when France secured a 2-1 victory before going on to reach the final.

France, England Seek World Cup Consolation in Third-Place Playoff

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