France vs England - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Playing for the prize that cipher wants to triumph – astatine slightest earlier the archetypal shot is kicked – France and England renew hostilities successful Saturday’s World Cup 2026 third-placed playoff; oregon bronze playoff arsenic it has besides been dubbed.

Les Bleus’ favourites tag was ripped up by Spain successful their 2-0 semi-final defeat, earlier the Three Lions mislaid their wound successful a deserved 2-1 reverse to reigning champions Argentina successful Atlanta.

Match preview

At the dependable of the last whistle successful France’s semi-final with Spain, Bleus brag Didier Deschamps would person either been right, oregon helium would person been a World Cup finalist again. Devastatingly for the departing 57-year-old, the erstwhile script came to fruition.

Deschamps made nary bones astir talking up Spain’s “favourites” presumption - a presumption shared by immoderate of the best betting sites for the World Cup - earlier the European rivals butted heads connected Tuesday evening, erstwhile La Roja channelled the spirits of their semi-final triumphs implicit France astatine Euro 2024 and the 2024-25 Nations League to conquer the gauntlet that Luis de la Fuente’s other fig laid down.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s inch-perfect punishment and a good onslaught from player-of-the-tournament contender Pedro Porro deservedly punched Spain’s summons to Sunday’s last against Argentina, aft the formerly fearsome Kylian Mbappe and co were restricted to a paltry 0.31 Expected Goals astatine the Dallas Stadium, wherever the Roja rearguard comfortably triumphed successful the billed defence-vs-attack battle.

On an evening erstwhile Deschamps broke the grounds for the astir World Cup matches arsenic a manager, his Mundial bequest was surely not tarnished entirely, but the statement among insiders and outsiders was that helium got it disastrously wrong; adjacent Mbappe openly criticised France’s tactical attack successful the contiguous aftermath.

Ending an different distinguished France vocation successful the lucifer helium ne'er intended to instrumentality complaint of, Deschamps volition astatine slightest effort to steer Les Bleus to a 3rd World Cup bronze medal from 4 third-placed playoffs, this being their archetypal since the 1986 edition.

France bested Belgium 4-2 that twelvemonth to decorativeness connected the podium and besides trounced West Germany 6-3 successful the 1958 third-placed playoff – with Just Fontaine scoring 4 – but they had to settee for 4th down Poland successful the 1982 edition.

Also lambasted for perceived tactical naivety successful the last four, Thomas Tuchel became nationalist force fig 1 successful England connected Wednesday evening, erstwhile wide pre-game optimism among the Three Lions faithful proved to beryllium painfully unfounded.

Refusing to instrumentality the Argentinian bait arsenic the champions continuously snapped astatine their heels, England exposed the Albiceleste’s wide weaknesses to gully archetypal humor done Anthony Gordon, earlier adopting an yet fatal try-to-break-us-down attack against Lionel Messi and co.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or victor gleefully accepted the invitation, laying connected a brace of assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez successful an absorbing Argentine fightback, keeping the holders’ hopes of back-to-back triumphs live and triggering yet different inquest into yet different major-tournament nonaccomplishment for the Three Lions.

Shades of 2018 were contiguous for England, who person persistently failed to span the spread to the elite of the elite erstwhile it matters most, having present mislaid each of their 7 World Cup knockout ties erstwhile facing a squad sitting successful the apical 10 of the satellite rankings.

Furthermore, the Three Lions are liable for the lone 2 instances of a state taking the pb successful a men’s World Cup semi-final yet failing to beforehand successful the 21st period – suffering that nonstop aforesaid destiny against Croatia 8 years agone – and the contented down the FA’s determination to widen Tuchel’s declaration is present being understandably questioned.

Putting a insignificant affirmative rotation connected things, the erstwhile Chelsea brag could inactive steer England to their second-best decorativeness astatine a men’s World Cup, arsenic the Three Lions’ erstwhile 2 appearances successful the third-placed playoff ended successful failure; a 2-0 decision to Belgium successful 2018 and 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Italy astatine the 1990 edition.

However, a bronze medal would correspond the astir inconsequential consolation for the crestfallen English, who person besides won conscionable 1 of their past 9 matches against France, astir precocious seeing their 2022 World Cup dreams dashed astatine the hands of Deschamps’s then-holders successful the quarter-finals.

France World Cup form:

England World Cup form:

Team News

“My backmost is gone, my backmost is gone” – Eight words that made for grim speechmaking for fans of France and Arsenal, 8 words professed by William Saliba aft the centre-back was forced disconnected successful the archetypal fractional of Tuesday’s decision with his well-documented backmost problem.

An authoritative update connected Saliba’s occupation is yet to arrive, but an quality connected Saturday is surely retired of the question, truthful Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix tin expect a call-up to the archetypal XI aft replacing his Premier League workfellow successful Arlington.

Deschamps explained that Lacroix was selected implicit Ibrahima Konate owed to the second “not being astatine his best” and besides unfamiliarity with playing arsenic a left-sided centre-back, but the Real Madrid-bound defender could present displace Dayot Upamecano arsenic the Bleus brag tinkers ever truthful somewhat with his last XI.

Backup goalkeeper Brice Samba was an unexpected casualty successful France's archetypal post-semi grooming session, but nary alteration successful betwixt the posts is anticipated anyway.

Deschamps and Tuchel tin empathise implicit semi-final injuries to Premier League defenders, arsenic the perpetually luckless Reece James was forced disconnected with an evident muscular occupation successful the nonaccomplishment to Argentina, simply a week aft making a afloat betterment from a hamstring concern.

Jarell Quansah has served his two-game prohibition and is an enactment to measurement successful for the stricken James, but antheral of the infinitesimal Djed Spence should power to the other flank, allowing Nico O'Reilly to instrumentality to the left-hand broadside of the rearguard.

Jordan Henderson (wrist) remains sidelined too, but England different person a afloat complement of options for the bronze-medal match, successful which Tuchel ought to instrumentality with a beardown XI successful the anticipation of bowing retired connected a high.

However, determination is immoderate interest implicit a imaginable prohibition for Jude Bellingham, who was caught connected camera slapping the backmost of Valentin Barco's caput during Argentina's post-match celebrations.

France imaginable starting lineup:

Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Lacroix, T. Hernandez; Kone, Zaire-Emery; Cherki, Olise, Doue; Mbappe

England imaginable starting lineup:

Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

We say: France 2-1 England

Spain provided the blueprint for however to halt the French attack, but with each owed respect to England, the Three Lions are nary Spain, evidenced by their nonaccomplishment to support a azygous knockout cleanable expanse astatine the existent World Cup.

As Les Bleus volition person besides enjoyed an other time to retrieve - some physically and psychologically - Deschamps's men person our backing to ascent onto the podium arsenic England are consigned to a acquainted fourth-placed finish.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.

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