Two matches remain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On the night of July 20, Argentina and Spain will contest the trophy. Today, England and France, after disappointing semi-final defeats, will compete for the consolation bronze. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Debates about the necessity of the third-place match at world tournaments have been ongoing. Some consider these games an unnecessary relic, pointing out that continental tournaments in Europe, Asia, and North America have abandoned them. Others are happy to extend the football festival, viewing the 'bronze match' as a prelude to the main event.
Information from the camps of the semi-final losers, England and France, is far from optimistic. Players who already saw themselves in the trophy match find it hard to find new motivation. Coaches, however, are different.
Didier Deschamps and Thomas Tuchel will lead their national teams for the last time. According to official information, Zinedine Zidane will replace the French coach. Tuchel's successor remains unclear. It is only certain that the German will never be forgiven for the final minutes of the semi-final against Argentina. In any case, both coaches likely want to go out with a bang. They just need to convince their players.
For both France and England, this is their third bronze match at World Cups. France has won both previous ones (1958 vs West Germany 6-3, and 1986 vs Belgium 4-2), while England has lost both (1990 vs West Germany 1-1, 3-4 on penalties, and 2018 vs Belgium 0-2). Notably, the opponents were the same.
The founders of football have only one set of gold medals from World Cups, won at home in 1966. Meanwhile, France is a two-time world champion (1998, 2018), runner-up in 2022, and two-time bronze medalist (1958, 1986).
Interestingly, France has won five of seven matches against England in the 21st century, including a quarter-final victory at the 2022 World Cup (2-1). England has also lost all seven of its World Cup knockout matches against teams in the FIFA top ten.
Historically, bronze matches see many goals. When the pressure for results disappears, teams rotate squads, play more openly, and defenses are less focused. For example, at the 1958 World Cup, Just Fontaine scored four goals in the aforementioned match against West Germany. Why couldn't Kylian Mbappé do something similar in pursuit of the Golden Boot for top scorer at the 2026 World Cup?
Mbappé, like Lionel Messi, has 8 goals. England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have 6 each. Isn't that a platform to challenge for the scoring title?
Another nuance: the bronze medalists of the 2026 World Cup will receive $30 million, while the losers of the third-place match get $28 million. Two million dollars is not an exclusive champion's ring, but it can be considered another point of motivation.
Discussing tactics for the bronze match is pointless, as starting lineups may surprise. However, the popular Opta supercomputer, based on 25,000 simulations, gives France a 50.7% chance of winning in regular time, while England has only 23.7%.
The 23rd World Cup final tournament started on June 11. The global football forum is held for the first time in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – and for the first time features 48 teams.
After the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advanced. After four knockout rounds, the finalists (Spain and Argentina) and the bronze match participants (France and England) were determined.
The 2026 World Cup final will take place on the night of June 20 in New York, while the third-place match will be held a day earlier in Miami.