England vs France: 2026 World Cup Third-Place Playoff

The 2026 World Cup third-place playoff between England and France is on Saturday, July 18, 2026, kicking off at 5pm ET (10pm BST / 11pm CEST). It is played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the day before the final. The winner takes third place and the bronze medal. Sources: FIFA, BBC Sport.

Both lost their semi-finals. England were beaten 2-1 by Argentina on July 15 in Atlanta (Anthony Gordon scored, but Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez struck late). France lost 2-0 to Spain on July 14 in Dallas (Oyarzabal penalty, Porro). The two beaten semi-finalists meet in the third-place playoff while Argentina and Spain contest the final on July 19. Sources: FIFA, ESPN.

Yes. The last time England and France met at a World Cup was the 2022 quarter-final in Qatar, which France won 2-1. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud scored for France, Harry Kane converted one penalty but missed a second late on that would have equalised. The 2026 third-place playoff is an immediate chance for England to settle that score. Sources: FIFA, BBC Sport.

Before 2026 they had met three times at World Cups, with England leading 2-1: England won the 1966 group-stage meeting 2-0 and the 1982 group-stage meeting 3-1, while France won the 2022 quarter-final 2-1. The 2026 third-place playoff is their fourth World Cup encounter and the first ever played for third place. Sources: FIFA.

Third place, the bronze medal and prize money, plus pride and momentum going into the next cycle. It is also a shop window for fringe players managers often hand starts to. For England, a first World Cup medal since 1966 would carry symbolic weight; for France, a podium finish would extend a remarkable run of deep tournament runs. Sources: FIFA, ESPN.

Kylian Mbappé finished the tournament on 8 goals, tied at the top with Lionel Messi, and cannot add to his total now France are out of the running for the final. Harry Kane is on 6 and gets one more match; he would need a big haul to reach the leaders. The Golden Boot is most likely decided between Mbappé's 8 and whatever Messi adds in the final, with the third-place game a last chance for others. Sources: ESPN, Fox Sports.

In the USA the match is on Fox or FS1 and Telemundo (Spanish), with app streaming. In the UK it is free-to-air on BBC or ITV (BBC iPlayer / ITVX), in France on TF1 or M6, and in Germany on ARD or ZDF. Kick-off is 5pm ET on Saturday, July 18 (10pm BST). Check each broadcaster's schedule for the exact channel. Sources: BBC Sport, ITV.

France have won it twice: in 1958 (a 6-3 win over West Germany, with Just Fontaine scoring in a tournament where he set the record of 13 goals) and in 1986 (4-2 after extra time against Belgium). England have played one third-place playoff, in 1990, when they lost 2-1 to Italy in Bari and finished fourth. Sources: FIFA.

Confirmed starting XIs are released about an hour before kick-off and this page is updated then. Third-place playoffs often bring rotation, so both managers may rest key players and give minutes to squad members. England will hope to feature Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane; France are expected to build around Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé if they are risked. Sources: ESPN, FIFA.