On July 19th, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, two disappointed but still dangerous European giants — France and England — will meet. Both teams were one step away from the final, but lost: the French to Spain with a score of 0:2, the English to Argentina with a score of 1:2, conceding the decisive goal in the final minutes.
The match for third place — this is a special story. Coaches often give a chance to reserves, and players go onto the field with the burden of disappointment from a missed final. However, bronze medals are not just a consolation, but the last chance to finish the tournament on a major note. For France and England, this match has significance: for the first — as a farewell to the era of Didier Deschamps, for the second — as an opportunity to break the series of failures in third-place matches, since in 1990 and 2018 England lost.
Final Prediction
World Cup 2026. Match for 3rd Place
📅 19 July 2026 | 🏟️ «Hard Rock Stadium», Miami
Most Likely Scenario
France's victory in a tense battle. Bookmakers favor the «tricolors»: the coefficient for France's victory is 2.01, for England — 3.78. France has a more balanced squad and greater depth in the bench. Moreover, England suffered an emotional blow in the semifinal, missing the win in the final minutes, and may psychologically approach the match in suboptimal condition.
Alternative Scenarios
Matches for third place are traditionally goal-scoring: at the World Cup 2022 Croatia defeated Morocco 2:1, in 2018 Belgium crushed England 2:0. Bookmakers also expect goals: the coefficient for Over 2.5 is 1.53, for Under 2.5 — 2.63.
Defenses of both teams looked vulnerable in the semifinals. England conceded two goals to Argentina, France — two to Spain. The «both teams score» bet goes at a coefficient of 1.45.
If «Three Lions» can quickly recover from disappointment and use their strong sides (flank play and the power of Harry Kane), they are capable of beating any opponent. The coefficient for England's victory — 3.78.
France has Uyanga Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, England — Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. The decisive moment may be created by an individual action of a star.
Conclusion:
The match is expected to be open, goal-scoring, and emotional. France looks more preferable due to squad depth and experience, but England is capable of giving a fight. Our prediction — France's victory with a score of 2:1, total goals over 2.5 and goals in both goalposts.
How the teams reached the bronze medal match
France national team on the way to the semifinal did not know defeat: a crushing victory over Sweden 3:0, wins over Paraguay 1:0 and Morocco 2:0. However, in the semifinal, the attacking power of the tricolors was completely neutralized by Spain — 0:2. This defeat ended the streak of two World Cup finals in a row: in 2022, the French took silver, in 2018 — gold.
England national team passed DR Congo 2:1, Mexico 3:2 and Norway 2:1. In the semifinal against Argentina, Three Lions led 1:0 from the 55th minute, but conceded two goals in the end and lost 1:2. This defeat became a heavy psychological blow for the Thomas Tuchel team.
Key factors of the match
Motivation and psychology. France lost more convincingly, with a score of 0:2, and is likely to view the match for third place as an opportunity to nicely finish the tournament. England, on the other hand, missed the win in the final minutes, and the players will find it harder to get together.
Player depth. France has a deeper and more even bench, which allows Didier Deschamps to make substitutions without losing quality. England is more dependent on the starting lineup.
History of encounters. At the World Cup 2022, France defeated England 2:1 in the 1/4 final. This experience may play a psychological role.
Scoring. In matches for third place, rarely do teams play to maintain the score. An open game and at least three goals between the two teams are expected.
Disclaimer
All predictions presented in this material are purely informational and analytical in nature. They reflect the subjective opinion of our editorial team, based on available statistical data, including materials from Opta, and the current form of the teams. Football remains an unpredictable sport, and any match may bring a surprise. We do not guarantee that the predictions will match the actual results and urge you to approach any betting decisions responsibly, keeping in mind the possible risks. The final choice always remains with you.