England and France are set to face each other on Saturday in the FIFA World Cup Bronze Final — a third-place play-off that has been a fixture of the tournament since 1954, and has existed in some form since 1934.

The mood heading into the match in Miami has been one of reluctant obligation. France head coach Didier Deschamps was blunt in his assessment, saying: "The best for France and England would be for this match not to exist." England manager Thomas Tuchel echoed that sentiment following his side's defeat by Argentina in Atlanta, stating that neither set of players wanted any part of it.

By Friday, however, Tuchel had shifted his tone. "If we win the game tomorrow, we have the best results of a World Cup in 60 years," he said. "It's a perspective to it." The prospect of bronze — and the history attached to it — appeared to sharpen his focus.

A chance for fringe players

Beyond the coaches' reservations, the play-off offers genuine opportunity. Players who have seen limited minutes throughout the tournament get a stage, and supporters who have invested in tickets and travel deserve a contest. England may hand James Trafford his World Cup debut between the posts, or give Kobbie Mainoo his first competitive minutes in this tournament.

Ibrahima Konate, the former Liverpool defender now with France, has featured for just 14 minutes in this World Cup — a cameo in a rotated side against Norway. He was candid about the situation: "Not one of us want to play this game for third place. But we don't have the choice."

Why FIFA keeps the play-off

FIFA maintains the fixture for several practical reasons. It provides an official ranking between the two semi-final losers, affects historical records and player statistics, and carries a prize money difference of approximately $2 million — close to £1.5 million — between third and fourth place. It also delivers an additional match for broadcasters, sponsors, and the public.

There is also a sporting case to be made. The Bronze Final has produced some of the most consequential goals in World Cup history, particularly for the Golden Boot. Of the seven Golden Boot winners who scored in the third-place match, four — Germany's Thomas Muller in 2010, Croatia's Davor Suker in 1998, Italy's Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, and Leonidas of Brazil in 1938 — needed those goals to claim the award. Grzegorz Lato of Poland, Portugal's Eusebio, and France's Just Fontaine also won the Golden Boot while scoring in the play-off. Harry Kane, England's Golden Boot winner in 2018 against Belgium, started that match but did not add to his tally.

The fixture also tends to produce entertaining football. The last time the third-place match failed to yield at least two goals was 52 years ago — 11 of the 12 matches since 1974 have produced more than three goals.

A 'booby prize' or bronze worth cherishing?

Croatia's Zlatko Dalic offered perhaps the most memorable reframe of the fixture after his side's 2-1 win over Morocco in 2022. "We won the bronze medal and it has a golden layer," he said. "It is like we have won the gold medal tonight." His match-winner, Mislav Orsic, described the goal he scored that night as the most important of his career.

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, however, called it a "booby prize" — a view shared by Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal before his side beat Brazil 3-0 in 2014. "This match should never be played," van Gaal said. "The worst thing is that there is a chance you are going to lose twice in a row — and in a tournament in which you have played so marvellously well you go home as a loser."

Former England manager Gareth Southgate was similarly unenthusiastic before the 2018 play-off against Belgium, admitting it was not a game any team wanted. England lost that day.

Despite the persistent criticism, there is no serious expectation that FIFA will abolish the fixture. As the tournament grows — this edition will feature 104 matches in total, with Saturday's game the 103rd — the question of whether a third-place play-off remains viable in a potential 128-match, 64-team format looms ever larger.