France and England meet for World Cup third-place match overshadowed by semifinal heartbreak and Golden Boot race

Semifinal wounds

France and England arrived at the 2026 World Cup aiming to lift the trophy, but both fell just short. Defending champions France, winners in 2018 and finalists four years ago, had won all six matches until a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semifinal. England, chasing a first final since 1966, led Argentina 1-0 until the 85th minute, then conceded twice in seven minutes to lose 2-1. Now they meet in the so-called 'consolation final' at Hard Rock Stadium.

We must shake off the disappointment. Our duty is to give everything. We have a chance at third place and we must do everything to get it. This is our obligation to ourselves, to what this shirt represents, and to all the fans. We have one match left, and it is not a friendly.

Squads reshuffled

Both managers rotated their lineups heavily. England rested Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, giving opportunities to players who had seen fewer minutes. France left out Ousmane Dembele but started Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise. The changes reflect the difficulty of motivating tired squads for a third-place game, though the rivalry between the two nations adds edge. For Deschamps, the match marks the end of his 14-year tenure as France coach. He is one of only three men to win the World Cup as both player and captain, having lifted the trophy in 1998 and then coached the team to the 2018 title. England manager Thomas Tuchel is expected to stay on; his contract runs until the end of Euro 2028.

Golden Boot subplot

The match carries an extra layer of intrigue through the race for the tournament's top scorer. Mbappe starts the evening on eight goals, level with Argentina's Lionel Messi who will play in the final. England's Kane and Bellingham each have six goals and could still challenge if they feature and the match goes to extra time. A 30-minute overtime period would offer an additional window to score, and Spanish reports have even suggested this could influence the outcome of the Golden Boot.

Although the prize is small compared with the final, both coaches have stressed the obligation to represent their countries. The match kicks off in Miami Gardens and will conclude the tournament for two sides that had genuine championship ambitions.