France, England Battle for Third Place in World Cup

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England and France meet in the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday, with only pride on the line. Or so it would seem. For England, a victory would secure their best-ever third-place finish, while France will aim to maintain their perfect record in previous World Cup bronze-medal matches.

The match at the Miami Stadium will be the first meeting between the two countries since France's 2-1 victory in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar. But this time around, both teams have suffered semi-final heartbreak. France were beaten 2-0 by Spain despite entering the tournament as one of the favourites, while England surrendered a second-half lead to lose 2-1 to defending champions Argentina after Lionel Messi set up goals for Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez.

The race for the tournament's Golden Boot is also at stake for France captain Kylian Mbappé. Messi and Mbappé have scored eight goals each, with Messi leading in assists. England captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are on six goals apiece and could still challenge for the award.

France will be without defender William Saliba, who was forced off during the semi-final defeat to Spain with a recurring back problem. Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix is expected to partner Ibrahima Konaté in central defence. Theo Hernández is set to replace Lucas Digne at left-back, while Warren Zaïre-Emery and Rayan Cherki are expected to come into the starting line-up. Mbappé will lead the attack as he chases the Golden Boot.

England have injury concerns over Reece James, who is expected to miss the game with a muscular problem, with Djed Spence likely to deputise at right-back. Jordan Henderson remains unavailable because of a broken wrist.

France won their opening six matches before their semi-final defeat to Spain, with Mbappé scoring eight goals during that run. The encounter will also mark Didier Deschamps' final game in charge of France after 14 years, during which he guided France to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final.

England have relied on moments of brilliance throughout the tournament, including goals from Kane and Bellingham during the matches against DR Congo and Mexico, before their late collapse against Argentina ended hopes of reaching the final. The Three Lions have also lost their two previous third-place play-offs.

The World Cup third-place play-off has taken on added significance for both teams, who are seeking redemption after semi-final heartbreak. A match that neither side expected to contest has become a must-win for both nations. The encounter will be a thrilling conclusion to the 2026 World Cup.