France and England will compete for the bronze medal at the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, July 18, at 21:00 UTC (17:00 local time in Cuba) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, as confirmed by the .
Both teams reached this matchup after being eliminated in the semifinals. France was knocked out by Spain with a decisive 0-2 on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. England lost to Argentina this Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
How they arrived
France was the most dominant team in the group stage: they finished first in Group I with nine points, 10 goals scored and only two conceded (a difference of +8). They defeated Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0), and Norway (4-1). In the knockout stage, the French team overcame Sweden (3-0), Paraguay (1-0), and Morocco (2-0) before facing Spain.
Kylian Mbappé was the standout player for France with eight goals in the tournament, tying with Messi as the top scorer of the 2026 World Cup. In the semifinal against Spain, he did not score and received a yellow card in the 86th minute.
England had a tournament of ups and downs. They finished first in Group L with seven points (6 goals scored, 2 against), with victories over Croatia (4-2) and Panama (2-0), and a draw against Ghana (0-0). In the knockout stage, they overcame DR Congo (2-1), Mexico (3-2), and Norway in extra time (2-1), thanks to a brace by Jude Bellingham in the 45th and 93rd minutes, which qualified the English team for their first World Cup semifinal since 1990.
Bellingham and Harry Kane each scored six goals in the tournament, making history as the first duo from the same national team to reach that tally in a single edition of the World Cup. Together, they scored 12 of England's 13 goals in the World Cup.
The most recent encounter between the two teams in a World Cup took place in Qatar 2022, when France eliminated England in the quarter-finals with a score of 2-1, featuring goals from Tchouaméni and Giroud, and a missed penalty by Kane in stoppage time.
The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami has already hosted the quarter-final match between England and Norway, so the English team is familiar with the venue. The winner of this match will receive the bronze medal and third place in the tournament's official standings, while Spain and Argentina will compete for the title on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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