England and France prepare for World Cup third-place play-off

July 17, 2026

England will face France in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel addressed his squad after their 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina on Wednesday. He urged the players to finish the tournament strongly against France.

Tuchel expressed pride in reaching the semi-finals and rejected criticism of his tactics in the defeat. The manager, who extended his contract in February, retains the full support of the Football Association.

Didier Deschamps will manage France for the final time in the match. The French coach described the national team as the most beautiful thing that has happened to him during his 14-year tenure.

William Saliba is ruled out for France due to a back injury. Kylian Mbappe is available and tied with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the tournament.

What people are saying

Initial reactions on X focus on the upcoming England-France third-place play-off, with previews highlighting team news and predictions mostly favoring France. Discussions include match preparations, score forecasts, and neutral announcements about the fixture at Hard Rock Stadium.

France vs England: Third Place Play-Off Preview

Everything you need to know, including:

Predicted Lineups
Team News
Score Prediction
Tuchel Talks England's DNA
Deschamps' views on play-offhttps://t.co/cPhZ5Nfp4d #WC2026 #France #England #FiersdetreBleus #ThreeLions

— Last Word on Football (@LastWordFC) July 17, 2026

There's always pride on the line in a World Cup third-place match. Before France and England kicked off, I spent a few minutes looking through @Dexsport's live World Cup section, and the odds for this one are as tight as you'd expect. I wouldn't be surprised if extra time is… pic.twitter.com/ow9FvCVGma

— KaiNoir (@nguyenvann6_24) July 18, 2026

🥉 FIFA World Cup 2026 – Third-Place Playoff Prediction ⚽

🇫🇷 France 🆚 🏴 England

One final battle for the bronze medal! 🥉

🔮 My Prediction:
🇫🇷 France 2–1 🏴 England

Agree or will England prove me wrong? 👀👇

— MAX (@Maxggooc) July 18, 2026

🥉 FIFA World Cup 2026 – Third-Place Playoff Prediction ⚽

Before the champions lift the trophy, there's one more battle to be fought. 🇫🇷 France and 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England will face off with one goal in mind—ending their World Cup journey with a bronze medal.

After looking at both teams'…

— World Cup (@worldcup__hq) July 18, 2026

Sources

• https://www.101greatgoals.com/football/world-cup-news/tuchel-calls-strong-finish-englands-world-cup-campaign/
• https://www.101greatgoals.com/football/world-cup-news/deschamps-ready-final-curtain-france-face-england-world-cup-third-place-play-off/
• https://www.101greatgoals.com/match-previews/world-cup-matches/france-v-england-expected-line-ups-stats-and-where-to-watch-world-cup/