The battle for third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup sees France face England on Saturday, July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
After seeing their dreams of lifting the trophy end in the semi-finals, both nations now have one final opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note. France were outplayed in a 2-0 defeat to Spain, while England's hopes were crushed by a dramatic 2-1 loss to Argentina after two late goals.
Despite Thomas Tuchel admitting that his players have little desire to contest the bronze-medal match, there is still plenty at stake, including national pride and personal milestones.
Read our France vs England prediction before staking your money.
France vs England prediction for the 2026 World Cup
It is do or die. That is exactly why the prediction below zeroes in on the strongest bet for this knockout World Cup tie.
Here is our pick:
BTTS - Yes
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, France is tipped to come out on top, with 47% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
France vs England head-to-head record
These two nations have met only a handful of times of late — 3 match(es) in all, which only adds to the unpredictability of this 2026 World Cup tie.
France: 2 win(s)
England: 1 win(s)
Draws: 0
France at the 2026 World Cup
France arrive having already played 7 match(es) at the 2026 World Cup. Here is the record for France National Team:
At the World Cup:
6 win(s), 0 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
2.57 point(s) per game on average
16 goals scored at the World Cup (2.29 per game)
4 goals conceded at the World Cup (0.57 per game)
France National Team in 2026
14 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 2 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Kylian Mbappé with 8 goal(s)
Most assists: Michael Olise with 5
England at the 2026 World Cup
England go into this tie with 7 match(es) already behind them at the 2026 World Cup.
Here is what England National Team have managed so far:
At the World Cup
5 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
2.29 point(s) per game on average
14 goals scored at the World Cup (2 per game)
8 goals conceded at the World Cup (1.14 per game)
England National Team in 2026
15 win(s), 2 draw(s) and 2 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Harry Kane with 8 goal(s)
Most assists: Declan Rice with 4
France vs England statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
France
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | L W W W W |
2.4 |
| Home | L W W W W |
2.4 |
| Away | W W W W W |
3 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 86% | 80% | 100% |
| Goals | 2.86 | 2.8 | 3 |
| Scored | 2.29 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Conceded | 0.57 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Both Teams to Score | 29% | 20% | 50% |
| Without Conceding | 57% | 60% | 50% |
| Failed To Score | 14% | 20% | 0% |
| 1st to Score | 86% | 80% | 100% |
|
xG
|
2.04 | 2.03 | 2.06 |
|
xGA
|
0.77 | 0.75 | 0.83 |
England
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | L W W W W |
2.4 |
| Home | L W D W W |
2 |
| Away | W W W W W |
3 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 71% | 50% | 100% |
| Goals | 3.14 | 3 | 3.33 |
| Scored | 2 | 1.75 | 2.33 |
| Conceded | 1.14 | 1.25 | 1 |
| Both Teams to Score | 71% | 75% | 67% |
| Without Conceding | 29% | 25% | 33% |
| Failed To Score | 14% | 25% | 0% |
| 1st to Score | 86% | 50% | 67% |
|
xG
|
1.72 | 1.82 | 1.59 |
|
xGA
|
1.28 | 1.03 | 1.62 |
France vs England probable lineups
See the likely starting elevens below for our France vs England prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
France Projected XI: Mike Maignan, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernández, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappé
England Projected XI: Jordan Pickford, Djed Spence, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Reece James, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane
The confirmed lineups will be available close to the kickoff time.
How to watch France vs England live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch France vs England live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 22:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for France vs England:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: France vs England
🆚 Fixture: France vs England
🏆 Tournament: 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date: Saturday, 18/07/2026
🕐 Kick-off: 22:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
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Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.