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 today, Saturday, July 18, at Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens. Kickoff is 5:00 PM ET on FOX in the US and 10:00 PM BST on BBC One in the UK. The bottom line: this is no dead rubber.
Kylian Mbappe chases the Golden Boot and the all-time World Cup scoring record, England chases its best finish since 1966, and Didier Deschamps leads France for the 187th and final time. The confirmed lineups are in: Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham start on the bench.
France vs England Quick Facts
| Match | France vs England, FIFA World Cup 2026 Third Place Match (Bronze Final) |
| Date | Saturday, July 18, 2026 |
| Kickoff Time | 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM BST |
| Venue | Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium), Miami Gardens, Florida |
| TV Channels | FOX and Telemundo (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: Saturday, July 18, 2026 (confirmed lineups in)
France Team News
William Saliba is out. The Arsenal defender suffered a back injury against Spain that requires surgery and could sideline him for up to five months. Maxence Lacroix steps in at center back.
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.
Deschamps resisted a full rotation. Mbappe starts his Golden Boot chase with Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, and Desire Doue around him, while Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, and Warren Zaire-Emery get their chance. Ousmane Dembele and N’Golo Kante wait on the bench.
England Team News
Thomas Tuchel rotated hard. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham drop to the bench, Ivan Toney leads the line, and Dean Henderson replaces Jordan Pickford in goal. Kobbie Mainoo misses out through injury, Reece James was not risked after limping off against Argentina, and Jordan Henderson remains out following surgery on the freak arm injury he suffered while celebrating the win over Mexico. Jarell Quansah starts after serving his two match suspension.
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.” He is 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.
Kane, now 33, waits on the bench in what could be his final World Cup, with the Golden Boot race still alive if England needs a goal late.
France vs England Confirmed Lineups
France Confirmed Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan; Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Warren Zaire-Emery, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe.
Lacroix replaces the injured Saliba in an otherwise strong XI. Rabiot and Zaire-Emery hold midfield, and Mbappe leads the line with every Golden Boot scenario on the table. Dembele and Kante are the headline options off the bench.
England Confirmed Lineup (4-1-4-1)
Dean Henderson; Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence; Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford; Ivan Toney.
Tuchel makes sweeping changes. Kane and Bellingham start on the bench, Toney gets the nod up front, and Dean Henderson takes over in goal. Rice anchors midfield behind an attacking four of Saka, Eze, Rogers, and Rashford.
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, closing 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 today 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. This is match number 187 for the longest serving coach in France history, the man who delivered the 2018 World Cup. A win would be his 122nd, and his players want to send him out with one.
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, though he starts this one on the bench.
Mbappe is the headline survivor from that night in the France XI, while Guehi and Rashford carry the England thread.
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 near full strength attack against England’s heavily rotated XI 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: England’s fresh legs have a point to prove, and Kane and Bellingham are on the bench if the game needs rescuing. 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, streaming on the FOX Sports app, FOX One, and Fubo, with Telemundo and Peacock covering it 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. The first ever World Cup halftime show is reserved for Sunday’s Final: here is our full guide to the World Cup 2026 Final halftime show.
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.
Are Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham playing in the third place match?
Both start on the bench. Thomas Tuchel rotated heavily, with Ivan Toney leading the line and Dean Henderson in goal. Kane and Bellingham are available as substitutes.
Can Mbappe break Messi’s World Cup scoring record today?
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, Deschamps says goodbye after 14 years, and England’s rotated XI plays for the country’s best finish in 60 years with Kane and Bellingham held in reserve.
Kickoff is 5:00 PM ET today, Saturday, July 18 on FOX and BBC One. The confirmed lineups above are official from FIFA.
