France vs England predictions and betting tips – Bronze medal up for grabs

Jul 18, 2026 - 07:15

France and England both lost in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals this week, but they cannot go home just yet. The two European teams will compete in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday.

Will France secure a third consecutive podium finish, or can England make this their best World Cup statistically since they lifted the trophy in 1966?

France to win – 10/11 with bet365
France to score first – 4/6 with Star Sports
Kylian Mbappe to score anytime – 10/11 with 247Bet

France vs England match overview

Date: Saturday 18th July.
Kick-off: 10pm.
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA.
Where to watch: BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Referee: TBC.
VAR: Yes.
Last meeting: 10th December 2022; England 1-2 France.
Last 10 matches: France – 6 wins; England – 2 wins; Draws – 2.
Favourite to win: France.

France vs England predicted lineups

France expected lineup: Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Lacroix, T. Hernandez; Kone, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Cherki, Doue; Mbappe.
England expected lineup: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Mainoo, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.

France vs England predictions

When Croatia and Morocco contested the third-place play-off at World Cup 2022, both teams were proud to be there.

Against the odds, Croatia had reached the last four of a second consecutive World Cup, once again punching above their weight.

As for Morocco, their run to the semi-finals was historic for their continental as well as their country, as the Atlas Lions became the first African team to advance beyond the quarter-finals.

The feeling is different for France and England. Many of the players, staff and fans associated with these two teams would rather the tournament was over already.

Unlike Croatia and Morocco, who were underdogs in their semi-finals in Qatar, France and England were the favourites to reach Sunday’s showpiece.

France were fancied to get the better of Spain in the first semi-final, only to be outclassed in a 2-0 defeat. England were narrow favourites against Argentina, yet they threw away a 1-0 lead and ended up losing 2-1.

The manner of their defeats will have hurt France and England more than the scorelines themselves.

France did not turn up against Spain. Their fearsome front four of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and, on this occasion, Bradley Barcola was unable to put the opposition defence under pressure. Spain were simply better than France.

Meanwhile, England had Argentina exactly where they wanted them with a quarter of the game remaining. But Thomas Tuchel decided to try and protect a 1-0 lead, as England switched to a back five and sank deeper and deeper. Inevitably, they were punished by Lionel Messi and co.

Any team would rather win the third-place play-off than lose it, but we are unlikely to see a full-blooded affair on Saturday, not least because this has been a long and draining tournament for all four semi-finalists.

France vs England betting tips

Will France or England salvage some pride with a victory at the Hard Rock Stadium?

France and England go for bronze

It is hard to predict the outcome of a game like this, largely because we do not know how seriously each team will take it.

Didier Deschamps and Thomas Tuchel could either name their strongest possible XIs, or use this as an opportunity to give game time to those who have not seen much action yet.

On balance, we favour France. They have greater strength in depth than England, so rotation would not necessarily prevent them winning.

They have also had a day’s more rest since the semi-finals and have tended to get the better of England over the last few years.

Back France to win at 10/11 with bet365

First blood for France

England did themselves no favours against Argentina.

They allowed the world champions to dominate possession and camp in the final third for more than 20 minutes, so it was hardly a surprise when Argentina equalised through Enzo Fernandez.

But England also looked knackered, much more so than France did against Spain. That will be a factor on Saturday, and it means France are likely to make the faster start.

We expect Didier Deschamps’ team to go 1-0 up in Miami, especially as England’s defence has looked creaky all tournament.

Tip France to score first at 4/6 with Star Sports

Mbappe still wants Golden Boot

The World Cup trophy is not the only prize up for grabs this weekend. We will also learn the winners of the Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Golden Boot.

Going into the 103rd and 104th games of the tournament, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are level at the top of the goal charts with eight strikes each.

Mbappe will be determined to claim the prize he also won in 2022 by finding the net on eight occasions.

The France captain has had an excellent tournament and, on an individual level at least, he will be keen to go out with a bang.

Go for Kylian Mbappe to score anytime at 10/11 with 247Bet

France vs England latest odds

Find the latest France vs England betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

More World Cup 2026 predictions

We have plenty more World Cup 2026 predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important historical facts about France and England for betting

No player in World Cup history has scored as many goals in the knockout stage as Kylian Mbappe (12). Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have scored 12 of England’s 14 goals at this World Cup. England have only beaten France once in the 21st century.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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