France and England meet for World Cup third place in Miami
The 2026 World Cup’s bronze final offers prize-money stakes and could affect the Golden Boot race after both teams lost in the semifinals.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
France and England will play Saturday for third place at the 2026 World Cup after both teams missed out on the final. The match, now referred to by FIFA as the bronze final, matters for tournament ranking, prize money and the Golden Boot race.
Al Jazeera reported that France reached the playoff after losing to Spain in the semifinals, while England entered it after a 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina. The game will be held at Miami Stadium in Florida, with kickoff set for 5pm local time, or 21:00 GMT.
Why the match exists
The third-place game gives one beaten semifinalist a podium finish, even though Al Jazeera noted that many players and supporters of teams knocked out at that stage would rather head home. It also creates another match between two leading sides before the final.
Al Jazeera reported that the fixture also gives FIFA and the host city another revenue opportunity. Broadcasters also get a match to fill the gap between the final semifinal on Wednesday and Sunday’s World Cup final.
The playoff first appeared at the 1934 World Cup, when Germany beat Austria 3-2, according to Al Jazeera. It was also held in 1938, skipped in 1950 after the tournament returned following World War II, then restored in 1954 and staged at every World Cup since.
Golden Boot implications
Goals in the third-place playoff count toward the Golden Boot because the match is an official World Cup game, Al Jazeera reported. That could matter this year because several players involved in Saturday’s match are near the top of the scoring table.
Al Jazeera reported that Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads with eight goals and four assists, with assists used as tiebreakers when players finish level on goals. France forward Kylian Mbappe also has eight goals, but with three assists, while England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham each have six goals.
The playoff has affected scoring history before. In 1958, France’s Just Fontaine scored four times in a 6-3 win over West Germany, helping him finish with 13 goals, which Al Jazeera reported remains the record for one player at a single World Cup.
France and England’s record in the game
France have played three previous third-place matches and won two, according to Al Jazeera. They beat West Germany in 1958 and defeated Belgium 4-2 after extra time in 1986, while losing to Poland in 1982 after resting several key players, including Michel Platini, following a semifinal defeat to West Germany.
England have lost both of their previous third-place playoffs, Al Jazeera reported. They fell 2-1 to host nation Italy in 1990 and lost 2-0 to Belgium in 2018.
No trophy or medal is awarded to the winner, according to Al Jazeera, but third place is worth $2m more in prize money than fourth place. Germany have finished third more often than any other nation, doing so four times.
What the managers said
France coach Didier Deschamps said his team would try to claim third despite the disappointment of missing the final. “There’s a third-place finish to play for, so we’ll do everything we can to get it,” Deschamps said, according to Al Jazeera.
England coach Thomas Tuchel said neither squad wanted to be in the playoff because both had aimed for the final. “Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is,” Tuchel said, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.