On Saturday 18 July, 2026, Thomas Tuchel will guide England against France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third place match at Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States (US) at 22:00 (WAT).
England emerged victorious in their first two (2) meetings, winning a Group stage encounter 2-0 on their way to lifting the trophy way back in 1966; and bagging a 3-1 victory in their opening contest in the tournament in 1982.
But, it was a different outcome four (4) years ago in the World Cup 2022 hosted in Qatar, with the Les Bleus, guided by Didier Deschamps, defeating the Three Lions 2-1 in the quarter finals. Both France goals were netted by Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud.
With a 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the final of the World Cup 1998 on home turf, and a 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup 2018 in Russia, France are two-time World Champions.
Didier Deschamps
On Saturday night, former France midfielder, Didier Deschamps, will take control of his 187th game for the France Senior Men’s National Team.
He has stayed as Les Bleus manager for fourteen (14) years and the game against England will be his final for the country.
Wearing the Captain armband, Deschamps led France to World Cup 1998 glory, and was also with the Les Blues when they won Euro 2000.
Deschamps, who fielded for Marseille, Juventus and Chelsea FC, will part ways with the Les Bleus this summer
Top Players to watch
No doubt, France is loaded with world-class players, who are performing excellently well in their respective clubs.
Kylian Mbappe, who currently ranks second in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot rankings as a result of falling behind in assist by one to Lionel Messi of Argentina, is definitely expected to lead the Les Bleus attack when they lock horns with the Three Lions.
The former Paris Saint-Germaine (PSG) forward has netted eight (8) goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026, same number of goals with Messi, however, the Real Madrid forward is one goal trailing the Inter Miami player on the all-time goalscorers chart. Mbappe has twenty (20) goals, while, Messi has twenty-one (21).
Another player is Michael Olise, a lethal winger. The Bayern Munich star has not recorded a goal at the FIFA World Cup 2026 yet, however, has been very pivotal in Deschamps’ sides’s unbeaten run until the showdown against Spain.
Olise, former Crystal Palace player, is currently leading the World Cup 2026 assists chart with five (5), and is trailed by Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes and Brahim Diaz of Morocco with four (4) assists each.
Ousmane Dembele is a player to watch when France clashes with England for the Bronze prize. The PSG forward has found the back of the net at the tournament five (5) times for France and recorded two (2) assists.
The Winner of Ballon d’Or 2025 and Ligue 1 player of the year award is one goal behind England duo, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who have six (6) goals each.
Recent World Cup 2026 Outcomes
Semi Finals: France 0-2 Spain | Tuesday 14 July, 2026 | Dallas, US
Quarter Finals: France 2-0 Morocco | Thursday 9 July, 2026 | Boston, US
Round of 16: Paraguay 0-1 France | Saturday 4 July, 2026 | Philadelphia, US
Round of 32: France 3-0 Sweden | Tuesday 30 June, 2026 | New York, US
Group Stage: France V Senegal, Iraq and Norway – 3-1, 3-0 and 4-1 respectively.
Photo: France players celebrate after winning a FIFA World Cup 2026 match
