France vs England Third Place Match 2026: Time, Team News, Lineups & Preview
France vs England meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third place match on Saturday, July 18. Kickoff is 5:00 PM ET at Miami Stadium. FOX carries the match in the US. BBC One shows it in the UK at 10:00 PM BST. The bottom line: this is no dead rubber.
Kylian Mbappe chases the Golden Boot and the all-time scoring record, England chases its best World Cup finish since 1966, and Didier Deschamps takes charge of France for what is expected to be the final time.
France vs England Quick Facts
| Match | France vs England, FIFA World Cup 2026 Third Place Match |
| Date | Saturday, July 18, 2026 |
| Kickoff Time | 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM BST |
| Venue | Miami Stadium, Miami |
| TV Channels | FOX (USA) | BBC One (UK) | |
| Prize | Winner $29 million, loser $27 million |
| Last meeting | 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, France won 2-1 |
| Head coaches | Didier Deschamps (France), Thomas Tuchel (England) |
France vs England Team News
Last updated: Thursday, July 16, 2026
France Team News
France has one confirmed absence. William Saliba is ruled out after suffering an injury against Spain, with Maxence Lacroix expected to step in at center back. Aurelien Tchouameni came through the semifinal after his thigh problem, while Manu Kone continues to manage a minor knee issue.
This is Didier Deschamps’ final match in charge of France, ending a reign that began in 2012. “There’s a third-place finish to play for, so we’ll do everything we can to get it,” he said after the Spain defeat.
Expect rotation around that goal, with Theo Hernandez, Kone, Desire Doue, and Rayan Cherki all pushing for starts. Mbappe, chasing the Golden Boot, is expected to play.
England Team News
England has two injury concerns and one return. Reece James is a doubt after limping off late against Argentina with a suspected muscular problem. Jordan Henderson is sidelined with a wrist injury. Jarell Quansah returns from suspension to bolster the defense.
Thomas Tuchel has been blunt about the fixture. “None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” he said. “We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.” Tuchel is also facing criticism for the late switch to a back five against Argentina, but he confirmed he is staying on with his eyes on Euro 2028.
Rotation is expected, with Kobbie Mainoo and Noni Madueke projected to come in. Harry Kane leads the line either way, and this could be the 33-year-old’s final World Cup appearance.
France vs England Lineups
France Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Lucas Digne; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe.
This is the semifinal XI with two changes: Lacroix replaces the injured Saliba, and Doue is favored over Bradley Barcola on the left. Theo Hernandez and Kone are the other likely rotation calls. Mbappe starts.
England Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Jordan Pickford; Djed Spence, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah; Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo; Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Noni Madueke; Harry Kane.
This projects the expected rotation: Quansah slots into a reshuffled back line with James doubtful, and Mainoo and Madueke come in for tournament minutes. Kane and Bellingham keep their places with the Golden Boot race alive. If James passes his fitness check, he reclaims right back.
Confirmed lineups drop roughly one hour before kickoff on Saturday. This section will be updated the moment FIFA releases them.
How France and England Got Here
France reached the semifinals with a perfect record, winning all six matches and conceding no goals in knockout wins over Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco. Spain ended the run 2-0 in Dallas on July 14. It was the end of France’s bid for a third consecutive World Cup final after 2018 and 2022.
England beat Norway 2-1 in extra time in the quarterfinal, with Bellingham scoring twice. Then came Atlanta. Anthony Gordon put England ahead of Argentina in the 55th minute, and the lead held until the 85th, when Enzo Fernandez equalized before Lautaro Martinez won it in stoppage time.
This is just the fourth time England has reached a World Cup semifinal. The only final came in 1966, when England won it all.
What is at Stake in France vs England
The Golden Boot and the record. Mbappe has eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, but trails on the assists tiebreaker. He plays first: every goal on Saturday sets a target Messi must answer in Sunday’s Final.
Mbappe also sits on 20 career World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s all-time record of 21. Two goals in Miami would take the record outright, at least for 24 hours. Follow the full race on our World Cup 2026 Golden Boot tracker.
The Deschamps farewell. Saturday is confirmed as Deschamps’ final match in charge of France, closing a reign that began in 2012 and delivered the 2018 World Cup. His players will want to send the departing coach out with a win.
England’s best finish in 60 years. Third place would be England’s best World Cup result since winning it in 1966. Fourth would still match 1990 as the next best. For Tuchel’s first tournament in charge, the difference matters.
The money. The winner earns $29 million, the loser $27 million. Both figures rank among the largest payouts in World Cup history.
The 2022 Revenge Angle
The last France vs England meeting decided a World Cup quarterfinal in Qatar. France won 2-1, and Harry Kane missed a late penalty that would have leveled it after converting an earlier one. Kane has waited four years for another shot at Les Bleus on this stage.
Several starters from that night, including Mbappe, Rabiot, Kane, Stones, and Pickford, are set to meet again.
France vs England Prediction
Our France vs England prediction is France 2-1. Third-place matches favor teams with a scoring mission, and no player in Miami has a bigger one than Mbappe.
France’s front four against a possibly rotated England back line is the game’s clearest mismatch. England’s response since the Argentina heartbreak is the unknown: squads either play free or play flat three days after a loss like that.
The counterargument: Kane and Bellingham have their own scoring mathematics, and England played what Tuchel called their best match of the tournament against Argentina, losing it only in the final minutes. Expect goals either way. The last three third place matches produced eight of them.
What Time is France vs England?
| Region | Local Kickoff Time |
|---|---|
| US East (ET) | 5:00 PM Saturday |
| US Pacific (PT) | 2:00 PM Saturday |
| UK (BST) | 10:00 PM Saturday |
| France (CEST) | 11:00 PM Saturday |
| India (IST) | 2:30 AM Sunday |
| Bangladesh (BST) | 3:00 AM Sunday |
| Australia East (AEST) | 7:00 AM Sunday |
How to Watch France vs England
FOX carries the match in the US, with Telemundo in Spanish. BBC One shows it free in the UK at 10:00 PM BST, streaming on BBC iPlayer. SBS carries it free in Australia.
Check out our complete guide to watching France vs. England for free. For the Final the following day, see our guide on how to watch Spain vs Argentina.
France vs England Third-Place Match 2026: FAQs
Do teams take the World Cup third place match seriously?
More than people assume. The winner earns $2 million more, individual awards are often decided in it, and players chasing records get one last stage. Croatia and Morocco produced a competitive 2-1 match in 2022.
What happens if France vs England ends in a draw?
The match goes to two 15-minute periods of extra time, then a penalty shootout if still level. There is always a winner in the third place match.
Has England ever played a World Cup third place match before?
Once. England lost 2-1 to Italy in the 1990 third place match in Bari. Saturday is the first appearance in the fixture since.
Can Mbappe break Messi’s World Cup scoring record on Saturday?
He can tie it with one goal and pass it with two. Mbappe has 20 career World Cup goals to Messi’s 21. Messi plays the Final on Sunday, so any lead Mbappe takes could last 24 hours.
Who won the last World Cup third place match?
Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 at Qatar 2022. It was Croatia’s second third-place finish, after 1998. Germany holds the record with four.
Will the halftime show be at the third place match?
No. The first-ever World Cup halftime show takes place only at Sunday’s Final, headlined by Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Burna Boy.
France vs England is the rare third place match with real stakes attached. Mbappe races Messi’s clock, Kane gets his Qatar rematch, Deschamps says goodbye, and England plays for its best finish in 60 years.
Kickoff is 5:00 PM ET on Saturday, July 18 on FOX and BBC One. Check back Saturday afternoon for confirmed lineups.
