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France and England will face off in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third place match on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET from Miami Stadium.
France won all six of their matches before the semi-final loss to Spain, outscoring their opponents by a total of 16-2. Kylian Mbappé led the way with eight goals, tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the tournament lead, and added three assists. Michael Olise himself registered a tournament-high five assists.
England had gone 5-1-0 before their own semi-final elimination against Argentina. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham each scored six goals and added an assist, and each recorded two braces along the way. Kane scored twice against Croatia on June 17 and again against DR Congo on July 1. Bellingham did the same against Mexico on July 5 and against Norway on July 11.
The third place match has been part of the World Cup since 1934, it is the second men’s tournament in history, after 1950. Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the last third place match, in 2022.
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France’s transition defense against Jude Bellingham’s late runs is the key battle.
France always seems the most dangerous at the opening of matches. Kylian Mbappé has 8 of France’s 16 goals this World Cup, meaning England cannot afford sloppy turnovers or broken spacing in midfield when France make a breakthrough. The real pressure point is what’s happening just behind that first wave, as Bellingham have equaled the English team’s record with 6 non-penalty goals and continue to arrive on points after the initial action begins.
England are built to create those second-phase moments. Harry Kane and the wide serve around him can pin France’s backline, and if that forces Aurélien Tchouameni and the centre-backs to collapse, Bellingham gets the pocket he wants. France have the better pure scoring, but England’s best way of play is to turn these moments of transition into a midfielder arriving free.
Watch the space at the top of France’s box after England’s first pass attack, because that’s where this game can turn.
Players to watch
The Manchester City attacking midfielder is full of promise for the France team but has played few minutes at this World Cup due to his role behind Michael Olise. If Deschamps wants to turn things around for the third place game, Cherki would be a good place to start, as he’s likely eager to make a positive impression and build his case for more minutes in the years to come.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger is another testament to the depth of this France team. As one of the most accomplished young players in the world, with two Champions League titles to his name at the age of 20 (he turned 21 just before the start of this tournament), he is not a regular starter for the French team. During this tournament, he started only three of France’s first seven matches. During these starts, he scored against Norway and provided an assist against Morocco. He could thrive in this third-place matchup if he becomes wide open, as is likely. Like Cherki, he plays an important role in the team’s future.
The Tottenham full-back played in all seven of England’s matches and made two starts. Defensively, he was strong off the bench and helped preserve wins against Mexico and Norway in the round of 16. He could be rewarded with a start in this match to try to manage the powerful French attack.
In a game that should be offensively heavy, Rogers should get a chance to show what he can do. The Aston Villa striker contributed to Anthony Gordon’s goal against Argentina and worked well with Jude Bellingham. Rogers typically plays outside when Bellingham is on the court, but moves to center when Bellingham is not playing. In this game, he could have the keys to the offense if Bellingham is used as a backup.
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