France and England will meet in the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off, with both sides looking to end their campaigns on a positive note after falling short in the semi-finals.
The match will also mark Didier Deschamps’ final game as France manager. He will take charge of his 187th and last match, having recorded 121 victories, more than any other coach in the history of the French national team.
While England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted that neither side had wanted to be playing for third place, Deschamps insisted France would do everything possible to finish the tournament with a victory.
He acknowledged France had not achieved the result they had expected but said the team must accept the disappointment and compete for third place.
Both teams recovering from semi-final heartbreak
France entered the semi-finals as slight favourites but were outplayed by Spain, whose midfield and defensive display limited Les Bleus to just 0.31 expected goals, their lowest figure in a World Cup match on record.
England came much closer to reaching the final after taking the lead against Argentina through Anthony Gordon. However, they surrendered possession after going ahead and were eventually beaten 2-1, with Enzo Fernández equalising before Argentina completed the comeback.
The result means England will play in a World Cup third-place play-off for the third time, having lost to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018.
France, meanwhile, are making their fourth appearance in the bronze medal match. They defeated Germany in 1958 and Belgium in 1986 but lost to Poland in 1982.
France hold statistical advantage
Team rotation is expected, although several players could still reach personal milestones.
Harry Kane has scored 14 World Cup goals, placing him joint-fifth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list alongside Gerd Müller, one goal behind Ronaldo Nazário.
Kylian Mbappé has netted 20 World Cup goals, leaving him one behind Lionel Messi’s tally of 21.
The teams have met three times previously at the World Cup. England won the first two encounters in 1966 and 1982 before France claimed a 2-1 victory in the 2022 quarter-finals.
England have won only one of their last nine matches against France and are winless in their last four competitive meetings.
According to the Opta supercomputer, France are favourites to claim third place, winning within 90 minutes in 50.7 per cent of 25,000 pre-match simulations. England have a 25.6 per cent chance of victory, while 23.7 per cent of simulations ended in a draw after regulation time.
