Bronze Medal Beckons For France
France and England meet in Saturday’s third-place playoff with both nations attempting to salvage something from their semi-final disappointments. Les Bleus saw their hopes of a third consecutive final ended by Spain, while England once again fell short against Argentina at the penultimate hurdle. Let’s take a closer look at Saturday’s big match!
Match Preview
France entered the semi-finals as favourites in many eyes, but Spain exposed weaknesses that had largely remained hidden throughout the tournament.
Didier Deschamps’s side struggled to impose themselves in Dallas and rarely threatened the Spanish defence, producing comfortably their least effective attacking display of the tournament. Questions were quickly asked of the tactical approach, and even Kylian Mbappe publicly voiced frustrations after the match.
Despite that setback, France still arrive with six wins from seven matches and one of the strongest attacking records in the competition. Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue have regularly overwhelmed opponents and will expect to find more space against England than Spain allowed them.
The Three Lions also head into the bronze final under heavy scrutiny. England made an encouraging start against Argentina and deservedly led through Anthony Gordon, but the decision to retreat and protect the advantage ultimately played into the hands of Lionel Messi and company.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have now lost seven knockout matches in the tournament against top 10 ranked opponents and once again find themselves reflecting on another near miss rather than preparing for a final.
There are still positives for England. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have enjoyed strong tournaments and the Three Lions have scored at least twice in four of their last five matches.
Defensively, however, concerns have persisted throughout the competition and France possess significantly more firepower than most of the teams England have faced so far.
Team News
France are expected to be without William Saliba after the defender suffered another back problem during the defeat to Spain. Maxence Lacroix is likely to come into the starting lineup, while Deschamps could also consider recalling Ibrahima Konate to the side.
England have fresh concerns over Reece James after the full-back was forced off against Argentina with another muscular problem. Quansah returns from suspension and is available again, while Djed Spence could switch flanks if required. Jordan Henderson remains unavailable, while there is some uncertainty surrounding Bellingham following an incident after Wednesday’s semi-final.
Odds and Tips
Third-place playoffs are often unpredictable, but France appear better equipped to recover from their semi-final disappointment.
England have struggled defensively against elite opposition throughout the tournament and Les Bleus should find more opportunities than they managed against Spain.
Tip: France to win at 1.95.
Don’t forget that we also have Early Payout on this match, which you can read more about here.
Odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last Updated: 17.07.2026
