Kylian Mbappe Leads France Against England in FIFA World Cup 2026 Third-Place Clash
FIFA World Cup 2026: France vs. England Third-Place Match Preview
Miami [USA], July 19: In the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place match taking place in Miami on Saturday (local time), France's captain Kylian Mbappe is set to start against England, with both teams opting for significantly altered line-ups. England has notably chosen to rest key players such as Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Mbappe is looking to enhance his chances for the tournament's Golden Boot and aims to surpass Lionel Messi as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. Currently, both players are tied with eight goals each in the ongoing tournament. In the overall World Cup scoring records, Messi leads with 21 goals, while Mbappe trails closely with 20.
This match will also signify Didier Deschamps' final appearance as the head coach of France after a remarkable 14-year tenure, with Les Bleus fielding a predominantly second-string defense.
France's journey in the tournament came to a halt with a 2-0 loss to Spain in the semi-finals, which dashed their hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. Mikel Oyarzabal scored first from the penalty spot, followed by a second goal from Pedro Porro, who was awarded Player of the Match, propelling Spain into the final against Argentina.
On the other hand, England faced a painful defeat against Argentina in the other semi-final held in Atlanta, where the defending champions rallied from behind to secure a 2-1 victory. Enzo Fernandez equalized before Lautaro Martinez netted a stoppage-time winner, sending Argentina to the final against Spain.
Here are the line-ups for the England vs. France FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place match:
England's Lineup: Dean Henderson, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Ivan Toney.
France's Lineup: Mike Maignan, Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, Rayan Cherki, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Desire Doue.