- France vs England lineups: Mbappe starts for Les Bleus as he continues his pursuit of the World Cup Golden Boot, while Kane has been rested for the Three Lions.
- Thye lock horns tonight at Miami Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 12:00am EAT.
- France are aiming to give Deschamps a winning farewell, while England are determined to claim the bronze medal in Tuchel’s first World Cup campaign.
Kylian Mbappe’s chase for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is very much alive as he leads France tonight, aiming to close out the tournament on a high note against England in Miami’s third-place playoff.
Mbappe heads into this clash level at the top of the scoring charts with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, with both players tied on eight goals.
The Real Madrid star has found the net in every match France have played in North America, pushing his overall tournament tally to 20 goals.
The only blemish? A blank against Norway, though he did grab two assists in that outing. In the disappointing semifinal elimination against Spain, he also failed to deliver his usual spark.
The 27-year-old now needs at least one goal to boost his chances of winning the Golden Boot.
Scoring tonight would move him ahead of Messi and leave him hoping the Argentine fails to score in Sunday’s final against Spain.
Mbappe will also be hoping no other contender, such as Harry Kane, who has six goals, scores a hat-trick tonight.
However, that scenario appears unlikely, with the Bayern Munich striker starting on the bench.
Official France vs England lineups
Under manager Didier Deschamps, France line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for this bronze-medal play-off.
Mike Maignan starts in goal behind a back four of Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, and Theo Hernandez.
Warren Zaire-Emery and Adrien Rabiot form the double pivot, while the creative trio of Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, and Desire Doue operate behind captain Mbappe.
Notable absentees from the starting XI include regulars Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, and Ousmane Dembele, with Deschamps choosing to inject fresh legs into his side.
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- France (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konaté, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Warren Zaïre-Emery, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué; Kylian Mbappé (c).
- Substitutes: Robin Risser (GK), Brice Samba (GK), Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kanté, Manu Koné, Jules Koundé, Jean-Philippe Mateta, William Saliba, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Marcus Thuram, Dayot Upamecano.
England manager Thomas Tuchel opts for a 4-1-4-1 formation, making several tactical changes following an exhausting semi-final exit.
Dean Henderson gets the nod ahead of Jordan Pickford in goal, while Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Djed Spence make up the back line.
Declan Rice anchors midfield behind an attacking quartet of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford, with Ivan Toney leading the line as the lone striker.
Key figures including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been named on the bench as Tuchel manages player fatigue and rotates his squad.
- England (4-1-4-1): Dean Henderson; Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, Djed Spence; Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford; Ivan Toney.
- Substitutes: Jordan Pickford (GK), James Trafford (GK), John Stones, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Dan Burn, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Elliot Anderson, Nico O’Reilly, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins.
The third-place play-off carries significant importance for both nations.
For Les Bleus, it marks the final match of Didier Deschamps’ remarkable 14-year reign, with Zinedine Zidane expected to succeed him as France manager.
For the Three Lions, claiming the bronze medal would help ease the disappointment of their late semi-final defeat to Argentina while providing encouragement for Tuchel’s evolving tactical approach despite criticism over his heavy squad rotation.
The last major meeting between these European heavyweights came in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, where France edged England 2-1.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026