France, England fight for World Cup bronze
FRANCE VS ENGLAND | SUN, jULY 19 AT 2:30 AM
Atlanta, July 17: France and England will lock horns in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff on Saturday, with both European heavyweights aiming to end their campaigns on a positive note after suffering heartbreaking defeats in the semi-finals.
Neither side had set out with the ambition of contesting the bronze-medal match, but with a place on the podium now the only prize left to fight for, both teams will be determined to finish the tournament with a victory before turning their attention to the future.
France arrive after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro ended Les Bleus’ hopes of reaching another World Cup final and also marked the final competitive match before Didier Deschamps steps down as head coach.
Deschamps, who became the manager with the most World Cup matches in history during the semi-final, had openly acknowledged Spain’s quality before the contest. His prediction proved accurate as the European champions controlled proceedings and restricted Kylian Mbappe and the French attack to very few clear opportunities.
Despite missing out on the final, France will be chasing a third World Cup bronze medal. They defeated Belgium to finish third in 1986 and thrashed West Germany 6-3 in the 1958 playoff, although they were beaten by Poland in the corresponding fixture in 1982.
England, meanwhile, suffered another painful exit after losing 2-1 to defending champions Argentina in Atlanta.
Thomas Tuchel’s side made a bright start when Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions an early lead, but Argentina responded through Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, with Lionel Messi providing both assists to inspire the holders into a second successive World Cup final.
The defeat has once again intensified scrutiny on England’s performances in major tournaments. Despite consistently reaching the latter stages in recent years, the Three Lions have struggled to overcome the world’s elite teams in knockout football.
England have now lost all seven of their World Cup knockout matches against teams ranked inside the world’s top 10. They have also become the only nation this century to surrender a lead in two separate World Cup semi-finals, having suffered a similar fate against Croatia in 2018.
Questions have also been raised over Tuchel’s tactical approach following England’s latest disappointment, although the German coach still has the opportunity to guide the team to its second-best finish in World Cup history.
England have never won a World Cup third-place playoff, losing to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018. A victory over France would therefore secure their first bronze medal at the tournament.
History, however, favours France. Les Bleus have won eight of the last nine meetings between the two nations across all competitions, including a memorable 2-1 victory in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup that ended England’s hopes in Qatar.
With the World Cup title no longer within reach, Saturday’s contest offers both teams one final opportunity to finish their campaigns with pride.
For France, it is a chance to give Deschamps a fitting farewell, while England will hope to silence some of the criticism surrounding another missed opportunity on football’s biggest stage. (Agencies)
