Saturday's third-place play-off between France and England at the FIFA World Cup 2026 is a match both sides would have preferred to avoid — yet here they are, preparing to face each other in Miami for the bronze medal.

France were the dominant force in world football heading into this tournament, having won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final in 2022. Their bid for a third consecutive final ended decisively on Tuesday, however, when Spain delivered a comprehensive defeat in the semi-final.

England's exit was no less painful. They carried a lead into the final ten minutes of their semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday, only to surrender it and fall short of the showpiece final that Gareth Southgate's squad had targeted.

Mbappe chasing history

While the real prize on Sunday belongs to Spain and Argentina in the final, there remains a subplot of genuine interest in Saturday's third-place encounter. Kylian Mbappe enters the match level with Lionel Messi on eight goals at this tournament — and just one behind Messi in the all-time World Cup goalscoring charts. A brace against England could see Mbappe, at least temporarily, claim that historic record.

Harry Kane, meanwhile, carries his own motivation. England's captain was at the heart of their quarter-final defeat to France at the FIFA World Cup 2022 — a 2-1 loss in Qatar in which Kane converted one penalty and missed another. There is unfinished business between these sides.

England face a steep climb

France arrive in Miami as clear favourites. For England to defeat this France side, they would likely need to produce a performance at the very ceiling of their capabilities — the kind of display that might have materialised in a World Cup final, but is far less certain in a third-place match where motivation can be elusive.

History offers England little comfort. In the 1990 World Cup third-place play-off, Italy beat England courtesy of a late goal from Toto Schillaci — the strike that sealed the Golden Boot for the Italian forward. France could deliver a similarly clinical evening in Miami.

Predicted score: France 3-0 England