France vs England in Miami: Third-Place Play-off Preview

England and France meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off at Miami Stadium on Saturday, with both European heavyweights aiming to finish their campaigns on a positive note after painful semi-final exits. England suffered a 2-1 defeat to defending champions Argentina, while France were outclassed 2-0 by Spain, leaving both sides to battle for the bronze medal. Although the third-place match may not have been either team's objective, it still offers a chance to end the tournament with a podium finish, restore pride and potentially influence the Golden Boot race. England lead the all-time rivalry History favours the Three Lions, who have won 17 of the 32 meetings between the two nations. France have registered 10 victories, while five matches have ended in draws. England have also outscored Les Bleus 66-41 across those encounters. However, the overall record tells only part of the story. England's dominance largely came in the early decades of international football, with most of their victories arriving between 1923 and 1949. In the modern era, France have enjoyed the upper hand, with England managing just one win in their last nine meetings, a 2-0 friendly triumph in November 2015. World Cup history favours England, but recent memories belong to France The two sides have met three times at the FIFA World Cup. England won the first two encounters, defeating France 2-0 during their triumphant 1966 campaign before recording a 3-1 victory in the group stage of the 1982 World Cup. France, though, claimed the most significant recent meeting, edging England 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to end the Three Lions' hopes of lifting the trophy. That result also extended England's long wait for a competitive victory over France. The Three Lions have not beaten Les Bleus in a major tournament since the 1982 World Cup, a drought that now stretches 44 years.