France and England will face each other in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off after both nations fell at the semi-final stage — France against Spain and England against Argentina. Kick-off at Miami Stadium is set for 10:00pm BST / 5:00pm ET on Sunday.

Where to watch France vs England

The match is available free-to-air across several regions. In the UK, BBC will broadcast the game with build-up beginning at 9:30pm BST. In Australia, SBS On Demand carries the match at no cost. Other free-streaming options include RTÉ Player in Ireland, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

Viewers in the United States can watch on Fox, accessible through Fox One — which offers a 3-day free trial before a $19.99/month subscription kicks in — as well as cord-cutting services such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, Sling, and DirecTV.

The bronze medal reality

Let's be honest: the third-place play-off is seldom a spectacle either side truly wants. Both squads — 52 players combined — had legitimate expectations of reaching the final. For tired legs and bruised morale, a bronze medal offers little comfort.

What the match does offer, however, is a compelling subplot in the Golden Boot race. Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, has eight goals in this tournament, matching Argentina's Lionel Messi, who will feature in tomorrow's final. England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two goals behind Mbappe's total, meaning individual milestones give both sides genuine motivation.

Historical context

France have not been forced into a third-place play-off since 1986, when they beat Belgium on penalties in Puebla, Mexico. This is also the first time since 2014 that they have failed to reach the World Cup final.

England, meanwhile, have a more recent and painful history with this fixture. Four years ago in Qatar, it was France who knocked England out of the World Cup — Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud both scored, while Harry Kane netted one penalty and missed a second. Eight years ago, England lost the third-place match 2-0 to Belgium in St Petersburg. And in 1990, Bobby Robson's side lost the equivalent fixture to Italy, with Toto Schillaci scoring the decisive goal on his way to winning the Golden Boot.

FourFourTwo's prediction

FourFourTwo predicts a France 2-0 England victory, citing a lack of appetite from three wounded lions.