France and England set to meet in World Cup third-place match in Miami
France and England will contest the World Cup bronze-medal game on Saturday in Miami, a fixture that has historically produced high-scoring encounters but is often regarded as less prestigious than the final.
France and England are scheduled to play the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday in Miami. The match, first introduced in 1934, has become a regular part of the tournament despite being described by some as the "game nobody wants to play." Historically, the fixture has produced more goals per game than the final and has never required a penalty shoot-out.
Past editions have seen teams use the match to improve individual scoring records, with players such as Just Fontaine, Thomas Müller, Davor Šuker and Alessandro Schillaci adding to their Golden Boot tallies. France previously defeated West Germany 6-1 in 1958, while England have lost both of their earlier appearances, to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018.
Former French midfielder Alain Giresse recalled the team's lack of motivation after a semi-final loss in 1982, saying, "Our hearts were elsewhere. We had pulled the plug." French defender Ibrahima Konaté was quoted as saying the squad wants to honor their coach and win the bronze medal.
Both sides will aim to finish the tournament on a positive note, with France seeking to cap Didier Deschamps' tenure as manager and England hoping to improve on their best World Cup performance since 1966.