France and England will meet in the third-place playoff at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday as both teams look to end their campaigns with a victory.
The match will be played at the Miami Stadium after both sides suffered semi-final defeats that ended their hopes of lifting the World Cup trophy.
France Aim to End Deschamps Era on a High
France entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win the title. However, their campaign came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals.
The match will also mark Didier Deschamps’ final game as France head coach after 14 years in charge.
Deschamps is expected to rotate his squad and give opportunities to several fringe players. However, captain Kylian Mbappe is likely to lead the attack once again.
The Real Madrid forward has scored eight goals and is level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Meanwhile, defender William Saliba will miss the match after suffering an injury during the semi-final defeat to Spain.
England Seek Positive Finish
England will also be aiming to finish the tournament on a winning note after their 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina.
The Three Lions took the lead through Anthony Gordon. However, Argentina fought back with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to secure a place in the final.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup.
Defender Jarell Quansah returns from suspension and could feature in the match.
In addition, players such as Trevor Chalobah, Kobbie Mainoo, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are expected to receive playing time.
Both teams will be eager to claim third place and end their World Cup campaign with a positive result before attention turns to the next international cycle.
