Nobody actually dreams of playing in this fixture. The World Cup third-place play-off is the ultimate curtain-raiser to a final that both sets of players are entirely gutted not to be participating in.
On Saturday night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Didier Deschamps and Thomas Tuchel are essentially tasked with motivating two dressing rooms full of crestfallen players who would probably rather be on a beach.
France's status as tournament favourites was clinically dismantled by Spain in a 2-0 semi-final defeat. England, meanwhile, reverted to a painfully familiar script against Argentina.
After taking a 55th-minute lead through Anthony Gordon, they dropped deep, invited relentless pressure, and were eventually punished by a 92nd-minute Lautaro Martínez winner.
Team News and Lineups
France
This marks the end of an era for French football, with Deschamps taking charge of his final game after a legendary 14-year stint. He will be forced into at least one defensive alteration, as Arsenal's William Saliba limped off against Spain with a recurring back issue. Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix is set to start in his place.
Given the nature of the match, expect some rotation. Fringe players like Rayan Cherki and Warren Zaïre-Emery are pushing for a runout as Deschamps freshens up his squad for one final outing.
- France Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Koundé, Konaté, Lacroix, T. Hernández; Koné, Zaïre-Emery; Cherki, Olise, Doué; Mbappé
England
Tuchel’s decision-making has come under severe scrutiny after England became the only team in the 21st century to blow a World Cup semi-final lead twice. His defensive headache continues, as the perpetually unlucky Reece James sustained a muscular problem against Argentina. Djed Spence will likely shift flanks, allowing Nico O'Reilly to slot in at left-back.
Jude Bellingham is also playing under a disciplinary cloud after being caught on camera slapping Valentino Barco's head during the post-match celebrations. Tuchel is expected to shuffle his pack heavily and hand minutes to squad players like Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Eberechi Eze.
- England Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
France vs England preview
There is only one genuine individual storyline keeping this game alive: the race for the Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappé is currently tied on eight goals with Lionel Messi and will be absolutely desperate to become the first player in history to win the award twice. With Deschamps likely to give him the freedom of Miami, Mbappé will smell blood against a makeshift English backline.
England have a miserable historical record when it comes to the business end of major tournaments against elite opposition. They have lost all seven of their World Cup knockout matches against top-10 ranked nations.
Their record in third-place play-offs is equally bleak, having lost to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018. France, by contrast, usually turn up for these consolation matches, having secured bronze in 1958 and 1986.
With both managers resting tired legs, this should be a far more open and error-strewn affair than your typical cagey knockout tie. Both teams have scored in five of England's seven World Cup matches so far.
Maxence Lacroix’s aggressive defensive style—he racked up 34 fouls in the Premier League for Palace last season—combined with an experimental England attack should provide plenty of friction.
While predicting line-ups in these games is incredibly difficult, France clearly hold the edge in terms of attacking depth and motivation, making a 90-minute victory for Les Bleus the standout selection.
France vs England prediction
- Suggested bet: France to win at 9/10 (1.90) as tipped by Pask