No previous meetings between these teams.
-
1
Kylian Mbappé8 - 2
Harry Kane6 - 3Jude Bellingham6
- 4Ousmane Dembélé5
- 5Bradley Barcola2
- 6Marcus Rashford1
- 7Anthony Gordon1
- 8Désiré Doué1
- 1Kylian Mbappé33
- 2Harry Kane23
- 3Ousmane Dembélé18
- 4Jude Bellingham17
- 5Michael Olise17
- 6Désiré Doué13
- 7Marcus Rashford9
- 8Adrien Rabiot8
- 9Bukayo Saka8
- 10Bradley Barcola8
- 1Elliot Anderson16
- 2Aurélien Tchouaméni12
- 3Dayot Upamecano11
- 4Jude Bellingham10
- 5Djed Spence8
- 6Jules Koundé8
- 7Désiré Doué7
- 8Bukayo Saka6
- 9Michael Olise6
- 10Adrien Rabiot5
- 1Michael Olise5
- 2Kylian Mbappé3
- 3Anthony Gordon3
- 4Bukayo Saka3
- 5Ousmane Dembélé2
- 6Morgan Rogers1
- 7Adrien Rabiot1
- 8Declan Rice1
- 9Bradley Barcola1
- 10Aurélien Tchouaméni1
- 1Kylian Mbappé16
- 2Ousmane Dembélé16
- 3Declan Rice15
- 4Michael Olise14
- 5Désiré Doué13
- 6Noni Madueke9
- 7Jude Bellingham8
- 8Bradley Barcola7
- 9Adrien Rabiot6
- 10Anthony Gordon6
- 1Marc Guéhi441
- 2Ezri Konsa409
- 3Dayot Upamecano397
- 4Elliot Anderson388
- 5William Saliba308
- 6Michael Olise306
- 7Adrien Rabiot291
- 8Jules Koundé276
- 9Manu Koné243
- 10Aurélien Tchouaméni242
- 1Michael Olise15
- 2Kylian Mbappé14
- 3Jude Bellingham13
- 4Bradley Barcola12
- 5Anthony Gordon8
- 6Désiré Doué8
- 7Bukayo Saka6
- 8Ousmane Dembélé6
- 9Nico O'Reilly6
- 10Declan Rice5
- 1Dayot Upamecano13
- 2Adrien Rabiot9
- 3Elliot Anderson8
- 4William Saliba6
- 5Aurélien Tchouaméni6
- 6Djed Spence5
- 7Ezri Konsa4
- 8Marc Guéhi4
- 9Nico O'Reilly4
- 10Ibrahima Konaté3
France- William Saliba
England- Bukayo Saka
France vs England predictions come with heavy hearts on both sides. The beaten semi-finalists meet in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday 18th July at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami. Kick-off is scheduled for 10pm (UK time), with third place and Golden Boot business still to settle.
Neither side wanted to be here. France saw their perfect record ended by Spain, while England let a semi-final slip from their grasp in injury time against Argentina. But this game carries real stakes. Kylian Mbappe sits level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the Golden Boot race, and Messi does not play until Sunday’s final. Harry Kane, two back on six, gets one last chance to mount a challenge. Third place is the consolation. The Boot is the prize.
France vs England predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane to score anytime | 11/8 @ Ladbrokes (42%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Kane has six goals at this World Cup and unfinished business with France after 2022. The England captain has played every match, started all seven, and his six goals have come from just 4.33 Expected Goals (xG). He remains England’s penalty taker, with two converted already, and three of his goals have been headers. France have conceded only four times all tournament, but Kane thrives on the biggest occasions and needs goals to chase the Golden Boot. At 11/8, the general 11/10 elsewhere tells you where the value sits. |
| Anthony Gordon to score or assist | 2/1 @ bet365 (33.3%) | ⭐⭐ | Gordon has quietly become England’s most productive wide player. He has one goal and three assists from five starts, a goal involvement every 100 minutes of his tournament. His composed finish against Argentina gave England the lead in the semi-final and showed his confidence has never been higher. Third-place play-offs traditionally open up, and Gordon’s directness against tired legs is exactly the profile to profit. With a goal or an assist both counting, 2/1 looks a generous price on England’s form creator. |
Odds correct at time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams head into France vs England
France
France were the tournament’s model of ruthlessness until Tuesday. Six wins from six brought 16 goals, with group victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway followed by knockout wins against Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. All three knockout victories came with clean sheets.
Then Spain happened. Mikel Oyarzabal’s 22nd-minute penalty and Pedro Porro’s second-half strike inflicted a 2-0 defeat at AT&T Stadium. It was France’s first loss of the tournament and the first time they had failed to score. Mbappe was booked late on as frustration told.
The underlying numbers still paint a formidable picture. France have taken 120 shots, more than anyone in this tie, and conceded just four goals in seven games with four clean sheets. Mbappe has eight goals and three assists, while Ousmane Dembele has five goals from a remarkable 1.55 xG.
England
England’s tournament ended in the cruellest way imaginable. Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute finish had them heading for a first final since 1966, until it all unravelled. Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez struck the winner in injury time. England lost 2-1 having led with five minutes of normal time remaining.
It was their first defeat of a tournament that brought group wins over Croatia and Panama, a draw with Ghana, and knockout victories against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway. The extra-time win over Norway last Saturday means England have played more minutes than almost anyone at this World Cup.
Their numbers show a side that created more than it converted. England’s 15.83 xG is the higher figure in this tie, from 20 big chances, yet they scored 14 and conceded eight. Kane and Jude Bellingham share the team lead with six goals each.
France team news
Didier Deschamps must decide how much this game matters. France emerged from the Spain defeat with bookings for Adrien Rabiot and Mbappe but no players are suspended.
The bigger question is rotation. Third-place play-offs traditionally see changes, and France’s settled XI has played six high-intensity matches in a month.
William Saliba is almost certain to miss out after going off against Spain with a back problem. Both France and Arsenal fans will be hoping it isn’t a serious issue.
England team news
Thomas Tuchel faces the same dilemma with different emotions. England came through the Argentina defeat with just one booking, for Elliot Anderson, and Jarell Quansah is available again after serving his ban.
The temptation to hand starts to fringe players will be real. But Kane’s Golden Boot pursuit gives England’s strongest XI a reason to play, and Gordon’s semi-final goal makes him hard to leave out.
There are doubts over Reece James and John Stones, who both left the pitch with slight problems on Wednesday evening.
Head-to-Head
This is a rematch of the World Cup 2022 quarter-final in Qatar, which France won 2-1 on the night Kane converted one penalty and missed another with the score level. That defeat still stings England, and Saturday offers the captain a measure of redemption on the sport’s biggest stage. The two nations’ recent meetings have been tight, tense and decided by fine margins. Expect nothing different in Miami.
Which side will finish third at the World Cup?
France are favourites at a best price of 21/20 with Matchbook, with the general market at 20/21. England can be backed at 14/5 with Matchbook, while the draw in 90 minutes is 3/1 with Betfred. The market leans towards France’s fresher legs and stingier defence.
We lean the other way on the player markets. Kane at 11/8 to score anytime is our headline bet. He has six goals this tournament, takes England’s penalties, and no player on the pitch has more reason to chase a goal.
Gordon to score or assist at 11/5 completes the pair. Four goal involvements in five starts is elite output, and his semi-final goal proved he belongs at this level. In a game where both defences may rotate, England’s most direct attacker is the value play.
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