France and England will meet in the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday, with both sides looking to finish the tournament with a win after disappointing semi-final defeats.
France’s hopes of winning a third World Cup title came to an end after a 2-0 loss to Spain in the last four. The match will also be Didier Deschamps’ final game as France head coach, ending a successful spell that included the 2018 World Cup title and a runners-up finish in 2022.
Deschamps will take charge of France for the 187th and final time, the most matches ever managed by a French national team coach. Before the defeat to Spain, Les Bleus had won seven matches in a row, with six of those victories coming by at least a two-goal margin.
England also suffered late heartbreak in their semi-final against Argentina. The Three Lions led 1-0 until the closing stages before conceding twice to lose 2-1. Manager Thomas Tuchel faced criticism after making defensive changes that allowed Argentina back into the match.
Despite missing out on the final, England still have the chance to record their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966. However, history is not on their side, as they have lost both of their previous third-place play-off matches.
France also hold the advantage in recent meetings between the two nations. England have won just one of the last nine encounters, while France knocked them out of the 2022 World Cup with a 2-1 victory in the quarter-finals.
Michael Olise could be one of France’s key players after providing five assists during this World Cup. Another assist would see him equal Pelé’s record of six assists in a single World Cup tournament.
For England, captain Harry Kane could be making his final World Cup appearance. He has scored 14 World Cup goals for the Three Lions, making him the country’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
France are expected to be without defender William Saliba after he suffered a back injury against Spain, while England will assess Reece James, who picked up a muscle injury in the semi-final.
Although neither team wanted to be playing for third place, both will be aiming to end their World Cup campaign with a victory before turning their attention to future challenges.
