Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s penultimate match on Saturday, July 18, when England and France square off for bronze in a game both managers have openly admitted neither side wanted.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET, with Fox and Telemundo carrying the broadcast in the United States and BBC One handling coverage in the United Kingdom.
Both teams arrive gutted. England held a 1-0 lead over Argentina through 54 minutes of their semifinal in Atlanta after Anthony Gordon found the net, then conceded twice in the final seven minutes to fall 2-1. Captain Harry Kane called the result “gutting.” France never got going against Spain, shut out 2-0 by a side that had surrendered just one goal across seven tournament matches.
France manager Didier Deschamps, presiding over his final match before Zinedine Zidane is expected to take the reins, framed the occasion with the bluntness of a man who knows the consolation bracket is no one’s dream. “It is not a friendly. It is a third-place playoff,” Deschamps told reporters in Miami. “England does not want to play this game, and neither do we. But here we are.”
England boss Thomas Tuchel, whose tactical substitutions against Argentina invited Lionel Messi to dictate the closing minutes, struck a different chord. “It’s a chance to have the best result in 60 years for England,” Tuchel said. “Mentality is not something you switch on and switch off. It’s a moment to show what we are made of.”
Both rosters are banged up and expected to rotate heavily. France center-back William Saliba is ruled out after going off injured against Spain. England’s backline is in worse shape — Jarell Quansah suspended, Jordan Henderson injured, Reece James and John Stones both doubtful, and Bukayo Saka unable to take the pitch in the semifinal. Tuchel is expected to hand starts to Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, and Ollie Watkins as he manages fatigue and frustration in equal measure.
The Golden Boot race gives the match a pulse it might otherwise lack. Kylian Mbappe has eight goals, level with Messi at the top of the tournament charts, and Deschamps may extend his minutes to chase the individual crown. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham sit two back with six each. Ousmane Dembele has added five for France.
The oddsmakers and prediction markets side firmly with Les Bleus. FanDuel lists France at -215 to claim third place, England at +172. On the 90-minute money line, France sits at -115 with England at +280. Polymarket’s implied probability gives France a 65 percent chance to win. The statistical profile backs the number: France has conceded just four goals all tournament to England’s eight, and Mbappe’s 21 shots on target lead the field.
France outscored opponents 16-2 through six matches before running into Spain’s wall. England’s path was tighter — narrow knockout wins over DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway, none by more than a single goal. CBS Sports analyst picks favor France to win in regulation, with one projection calling for a 2-2 draw decided on penalties.
Saturday marks the 33rd all-time meeting between the two nations and a rematch of the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, where France eliminated England 2-1 in Qatar after Kane skied a late penalty over the bar. France has won three of the last five encounters, with the most frequent historical scoreline sitting at 2-1.
For Tuchel, the match is a test of whether his squad can summon something after the cruelest kind of loss. For Deschamps, it is a farewell under fluorescent lights in a stadium that was never the destination. The film doesn’t lie — both teams wanted to be somewhere else next weekend. One of them gets to walk out with a medal anyway.
Sources:
Yahoo Sports — How to watch France v England, team news, predicted line-ups
CBS Sports — England vs. France odds, prediction, preview, picks
Yahoo Sports — France predicted lineup today vs England
CBS Sports — France vs. England live stream, how to watch, lineups
Yahoo Sports / Sporting News — France vs England prediction, Polymarket