France and England will bring the curtain down on their respective World Cup campaigns when they go head-to-head in the third-place playoff at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night.
These two heavyweight nations head into what is now known as the bronze playoff on the back of agonising semi-final defeats.
France, who were widely expected to go on and lift the trophy, saw their hopes extinguished in a 2-0 defeat to Spain on Tuesday night.
That was Les Bleus’ first competitive loss in more than 12 months, and they will be desperate to avoid ending the tournament with another setback in what will be Didier Deschamps’ final game in charge.
England, meanwhile, must find a way to lift themselves off the canvas after conceding two late goals in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Argentina on Wednesday night.
That was Thomas Tuchel’s first competitive defeat as Three Lions boss, with his decision to sit back after England took the lead drawing widespread criticism.
How the bookies view it: France firm favourites
The pre-match odds point towards France finishing third at the World Cup, with Les Bleus 10/11 favourites with bet365 to come out on top.
England are 14/5 outsiders with the same firm, while the draw is also trading at 14/5.
Head to head: Three Lions looking for revenge
While England boast the superior overall head-to-head record, with 17 victories compared to France’s 10, the Three Lions have triumphed in just one of the last nine meetings between the pair.
The two nations last locked horns at the 2022 World Cup, when France edged past England 2-1 in a dramatic quarter-final encounter. A repeat of that scoreline on Saturday night is priced at 17/2 with bet365.
Players to watch: Mbappe on Golden Boot mission
Kylian Mbappe remains hot on the heels of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race, making the France forward an appealing anytime goalscorer option at 5/6 with bet365. The France superstar has scored exactly two goals in three of his seven appearances at the 2026 World Cup, so a repeat here is good value at 9/2 with bet365.
Despite drawing a blank in each of his last two outings, England captain Harry Kane remains firmly in the Golden Boot conversation. The Three Lions skipper is priced at 5/4 with bet365 to find the net anytime.
More Mbappe and Kane odds are available on our best mobile apps for World Cup betting.
Predicted line-ups
France’s woes from their semi-final defeat to Spain were compounded further by an injury blow to William Saliba, who is almost certain to miss Saturday night’s third-place playoff with a back injury.
England have also been dealt another injury setback, with Reece James added to their absentee list after being forced off during their semi-final defeat, while Jordan Henderson remains sidelined with a wrist injury.
France: Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Lacroix, T. Hernandez; Kone, Zaire-Emery; Cherki, Olise, Doue; Mbappe
England: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Anything else catch the eye?
Backing a France win alongside over one match goal boosts the odds to 21/20 with bet365.
Before their semi-final defeat to Spain, France had won all six of their World Cup matches, scoring multiple goals in five of those victories.
That trend could continue when they come up against an England side that has conceded two goals in recent games against both Mexico and Argentina.
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