England and France contest World Cup third place
England face France in Saturday's World Cup third-place play-off, a match that offers a final stage for European club players and the last competitive football for a month.
Thomas Tuchel's England will play France in Saturday's World Cup third-place play-off following their semi-final defeat to Argentina. The match offers a final opportunity to salvage something from a tournament where the ultimate prize has slipped away.
Victory would secure England's best World Cup finish since their 1966 triumph, ending a 60-year wait for a comparable result. Previous attempts to claim third place ended in defeat under Sir Bobby Robson in 1990 against hosts Italy, and under Sir Gareth Southgate in 2018 against Belgium.
Individual accolades also remain on the line for the players involved. France captain Kylian Mbappe is level with Lionel Messi on eight goals but trails the Argentina forward on assists, with three to Messi's four. Goals in this fixture officially count towards the Golden Boot award, a route Italy's Salvatore Schillaci successfully took against England in 1990. England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two goals behind the leading pair. Given their fewer assists, both would likely need a hat-trick to top the scoring charts.
A stage for European clubs
The reduced stakes mean both managers are expected to rotate, offering valuable minutes to players tied to major European clubs. Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has yet to play a single minute at the tournament. Tuchel could use this match to hand the youngster his World Cup debut while giving Declan Rice a breather following a recent illness.
Strikers Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney have also been limited to roughly six minutes of pitch time each. For France, Didier Deschamps must weigh up giving game time to 2018 champion N'Golo Kante, who at 35 is likely playing in his final World Cup. Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki has been restricted to just 85 minutes and may be rewarded with a start.
Beyond club interests, Saturday's match is significant for the broader European public. It is the last competitive football that will be played for nearly four weeks. The EFL returns on 14 August, with the Premier League following a week later on 21 August. Furthermore, changes to the scheduling of international breaks mean England will not play again until the end of September.
