- Here is the France vs England prediction article for World Cup 2026 which breaks down form, key players, odds and H2H meetings ahead of the clash.
- The match will be staged at Miami Stadium in United States on Sunday July 19.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00am East Africa Time .
Two-time world champions France will be aiming to overcome a familiar European rival when they meet England on Saturday afternoon in their third-place playoff match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Miami Stadium.
Last time out in the semi-finals, France suffered a 2-0 defeat against a Spain side to end their hopes of reaching a third successive World Cup final.
On the other hand, England saw their dream of a first final since 1966 crushed after surrendering a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 late on against reigning champions Argentina.
France vs England match kick off time and Venue
The two sides will face off on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 pm local venue time (Eastern Time).
For viewers in other parts of the world, this translates to 2:00 pm Pacific Time (PT), 4:00 pm Central Time (CT), 9:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC), 10:00 pm.
West Africa Time (WAT) / British Summer Time (BST), 11:00 pm Central European Summer Time (CEST) for the audience in France, and 12:00 am East African Time (EAT) on Sunday, July 19.
France vs England Team News
France manager Didier Deschamps enters his final match in charge with a highly competitive squad.
Manu Koné is heavily pushing for a starting role to give the engine room fresh legs. Young creative talent Desire Doué is also expected to feature alongside Rayan Cherki.
France otherwise boasts a strong, fully-fit squad with Kylian Mbappé eager to start as he chases the Golden Boot.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has a much more complicated selection puzzle to solve, primarily dealing with player fatigue and late injury concerns.
Reece James was forced off late against Argentina and is a major doubt, meaning Djed Spence could switch to the right-back role while Nico O’Reilly covers on the left.
Jordan Henderson remains sidelined through injury, and Declan Rice may be rested due to heavy fatigue, paving the way for Kobbie Mainoo to earn his first minutes of the tournament alongside Elliot Anderson.
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France vs England Predicted Lineups
France: Mike Maignan; Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernández; Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné; Ousmane Dembélé, Rayan Cherki, Desire Doué; Kylian Mbappé.
England: Jordan Pickford; Djed Spence, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly; Kobbie Mainoo, Elliot Anderson; Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Marcus Rashford; Ollie Watkins.
France vs England head-to-head record and recent meetings
The encounter between Les Bleus and the Three Lions carries rich history with England holding the better overall record with 17 wins compared to France’s 10.
However, France has held the upper hand in modern times, remaining unbeaten in their last four major tournament meetings.
Their most famous recent competitive meeting took place during the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar. In that tense affair, France secured a 2-1 victory over Gareth Southgate’s men courtesy of goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud, despite a Harry Kane penalty response.
Current Form
France: L–W–W–W–W
England: L–W–W–W–W
France vs England prediction
France enters the tie as slight favorites, largely motivated by Kylian Mbappé’s bid to claim the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Because third-place playoffs are traditionally open, high-scoring fixtures with the defensive pressure lifted, fans can expect an entertaining matchup.