The 2026 World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina takes centre stage on Sunday night, but first there is the small matter of Saturday’s third-place play-off between France and England, who must both lift themselves following the disappointments of their semi-final defeats.
It may be a match neither country particularly wanted to play, but it does still offer players the opportunity to score goals, carve out assists, and leave the tournament on a winning note.
It will also be the final time we see Didier Deschamps at the helm of France, while the outcome could perhaps even prove pivotal in the future of Thomas Tuchel, who has come under an avalanche of pressure following the manner of England’s semi-final exit.
Read on for the best of the World Cup stats you might see in France vs England on Saturday night (8pm UK time).
Stats you might see in France vs England
Mbappe in the mix
- Kylian Mbappe (20 goals) needs one more goal to equal Lionel Messi’s all-time record of 21 World Cup goals.
Kylian Mbappe is currently tied on eight goals with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot – but Messi is ahead on assists – meaning the Frenchman still has the opportunity to make history by becoming the first player to win the award twice.
Mbappe has 11 goals and assists this tournament, which is the third most at a single World Cup since 1966, behind Gerd Muller (13 in 1979) and Messi (12 this tournament).
Mbappe has extra motivation as he will equal Messi’s record tally of 21 World Cup goals if he does score against England.
Mbappe can draw on an impressive record of 12 goals in the knockout stages of the World Cup, including four goals in four games in the knockout stages in 2026.
Olise can catch Pele
- Michael Olise (5) still needs one more assist to equal Pele’s single-edition World Cup record of six assists from 1970.
Michael Olise still leads the charts with five assists so far this tournament. The Frenchman will once again have the chance to equal Pele’s single-edition record of six assists from 1970.
Olise carved out those five assists in his opening four matches of the tournament against Senegal (1), Iraq (2), and Sweden (2), but has been unable to add to his tally since the round of 32 victory over the Swedes.
He’ll be hoping that changes on Saturday.
Kane & Bellingham aim for 7th heaven
- Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham (both 6 goals) have the opportunity to set a new record for most goals from an England player at a single major tournament.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham may have endured tough evenings in the defeat to Argentina, but England’s two star players are still in with a sniff of the Golden Boot; sitting two goals behind Messi and Mbappe (8).
Their respective tallies of six goals is a joint-record for England at a single major tournament (level with Kane from 2018 and Lineker from 1986), meaning the duo still have a chance to create history by scoring the most goals for their country at a single tournament.
Golden Boot Comparison Matrix:
Over and out for Deschamps
- Didier Deschamps is set to take charge of a record-extending 27th World Cup match as a manager.
Didier Deschamps will oversee his 187th and final match in charge of France as he closes the chapter on his time at the helm of the national team, which began way back in 2012.
In the process, the 57-year-old will extend his own World Cup record to 27 matches managed at the tournament, while he’ll also bid to extend another one of his own records to 20 matches won at the World Cup.
England’s 44 year French drought
- England are looking to beat France in a competitive match for the first time in 44 years.
England, overall, have a decent head-to-head record against France, who they have beaten 17 times in 32 meetings, losing 10 times and drawing five.
The problem is, they’ve lost five of the last seven clashes between the countries, and haven’t beaten the French in a competitive game in 44 years since the 1982 World Cup, when they ran out 3-1 winners in the first group stage.
READ – Stats you might have missed from England vs Argentina
Third time lucky?
- England can record their best ever World Cup finish on foreign soil.
The third-place play-off may be viewed by some as a consolation fixture, but it still presents England with the chance to secure their best ever World Cup finish on foreign soil.
The Three Lions’ only World Cup triumph came on home soil in 1966, and they are still searching for a second appearance in the final. They’ve not yet reached another final, but have fallen short in the 1990, 2018, and now 2026 semi-finals.
On both previous occasions, England were unable to win the third-place match: they lost 2-1 to hosts Italy in 1990, then suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in 2018, leaving them with fourth-place finishes.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will now look to avoid repeating history and hope its third time lucky in the third-place play-off.
However, if they do lose they will equal Uruguay’s tally of three defeats in this particular fixture.
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