France vs. England Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for World Cup 2026 Bracket 3rd-Place Game

France and England face the difficult task of rallying to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place game after they both suffered heartbreaking semifinal defeats.

Both teams entered the tournament with title aspirations, so it may be difficult for either side to get up for Saturday's contest in Miami.

The recent third-place games in World Cup history have had a mixed bag of results. A few were competitive, but Brazil in 2014 and England in 2018 were both shut out.

Each of the third-place games since 2010 has had at least two goals, so if anything, we might see more goals than a usual knockout-round game because there is no pressure left on either squad.

Match Info and Odds

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Date: Saturday, July 18

Start Time: 5 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox One and FoxSports.com

Odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook):

To Finish Third: France (-215; bet $215 to win $100); England (+172; bet $100 to win $172)

90-Minute Money Line: France (-115); England (+280); Draw (+280)

Third-Place Game Typically Delivers Goals

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History suggests the World Cup third-place game won't be a drab scoreless affair.

At least three goals were scored in the 2010, 2014 and 2022 third-place games and two goals were netted in 2018.

It'll be hard for France and England to find motivation, but the third-place game does serve as a chance to end the tournament on a small high note.

All four of England's knockout-round games featured three goals, while France went under 2.5 goals in three of its four knockout-round contests.

England does have a tough defense, but it might play looser and have some rotation within the squad on Saturday.

France will have world-class attackers on the field, even if Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are rested from the start.

The third-place game probably won't carry the same drama as Sunday's final, but it should at least be a fun game to watch.

How Many Lineup Changes Will Come From Both Sides?

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The third-place game is an opportunity for both Didier Deschamps and Thomas Tuchel to rotate their squads.

Each team played seven games to reach this point. That's one more contest than any other third-place game participant played in because of the expansion of the knockout round to 32 teams in 2026.

If France wants to rotate its squad, it can turn to Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta at forward.

Monaco's Maghnes Akilouche is one of the more exciting young talents in world football and could be given an opportunity to play an extended period on Saturday as well.

England could opt to rest Harry Kane by starting either Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney.

Kobbie Mainoo and Eberechi Eze are also options to rotate into the squad after the Three Lions exhausted themselves defensively against Argentina.

Both managers may not opt for wholesale changes, but some players with a lot of minutes on their legs could be rested from the start, or play just 45-60 minutes.