France favored over England before Argentina-Spain World Cup final
France and England play for third place in Miami before Argentina and Spain meet Sunday in the World Cup final near New York.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
France and England close out their World Cup campaigns in the third-place playoff before Spain and Argentina contest the final on Sunday. The weekend also brings a new FIFA award item for the champions, air-quality concerns near the final venue and a high-profile meeting between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
Al Jazeera reported that only two matches remain in the tournament. France face England at Miami Stadium in Miami at 21:00 GMT, while Spain and Argentina play the final at New York-New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, July 19, at 19:00 GMT.
France hold the edge in the third-place match
Opta's pre-match model makes France the favorite against England, according to Al Jazeera. After 25,000 simulations, the supercomputer gave France a 50.7% chance of winning inside 90 minutes, compared with 25.6% for England and 23.7% for a draw after regulation.
The countries have met three times before at the World Cup, Al Jazeera reported. England won 2-0 in the 1966 group stage and 3-1 in the first group phase in 1982, while France won the most recent meeting, a 2-1 quarterfinal victory in Qatar in 2022.
England enter the playoff after a 2-1 semifinal loss to Argentina in which they gave up a 1-0 lead, according to Al Jazeera. The report said British media and former England captain Gary Lineker questioned Thomas Tuchel's decisions, with criticism focused on defensive substitutions after England went ahead.
Argentina and Spain prepare for the final
Spain are seeking their second World Cup title, while Argentina are trying to win a fourth as defending champions, according to Al Jazeera. The teams last met in a 2018 friendly in Madrid, where Spain won 6-1.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the final and present the World Cup trophy to the winning team, Al Jazeera reported. FIFA will also introduce championship rings for the first time, with 30 rings made for the winning squad and 1,996 collector's editions offered to fans.
Al Jazeera reported that the champions' rings will be tailored later to match the winning team's identity and fitted individually. One side will show the World Cup trophy, while the other will include details tied to the champions.
Smoke and a striking Messi-Yamal link
Organizers are watching air quality around the New York metropolitan area after smoke from Canadian wildfires led to health advisories, according to Al Jazeera. The report said there was no indication so far that the final would be affected.
The Associated Press reported that Spain trained outdoors in northern New Jersey on Thursday under hazy conditions, while media access covered only the first 15 minutes of the session. Argentina remained at its base near Atlanta after beating England, avoiding the worst of the smoke because it was farther south, according to the AP.
The AP also reported that a 2007 charity calendar photo shoot has resurfaced before the final because it pictured a 20-year-old Messi bathing an infant later identified as Yamal. Photographer Joan Monfort, who took the images for Sport newspaper and UNICEF after Yamal's family was selected through a raffle in Mataro, told the AP: “I never believed things were destined to happen, but I’m starting to have my doubts.”
Messi later became one of football's most decorated players before leaving Barcelona in 2021, while Yamal emerged at the same club years later, according to the AP. They now meet on opposite sides as Argentina and Spain play for the World Cup.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.