As both nations prepare for an emotional farewell to the tournament, supporters are eager to discover how the two star forwards fit into the plans for a match that few teams ever want to play. France and England have one final opportunity to leave the 2026 World Cup with a positive result, but one question has dominated the buildup to the third-place playoff: will Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane take the field? As both nations prepare for an emotional farewell to the tournament, supporters are eager to discover how the two star forwards fit into the plans for a match that few teams ever want to play.
While Kylian Mbappe continues his pursuit of another Golden Boot and Harry Kane remains one of England’s biggest attacking threats, both teams enter the contest carrying the disappointment of semifinal exits. The match offers a chance to finish on a high despite falling just short of the World Cup final.
Both national teams entered the knockout stage with genuine ambitions of lifting the trophy, but instead find themselves competing for third place in Miami.
France suffered a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semifinals after being widely viewed as one of the tournament favorites. England‘s exit proved even more painful, surrendering a second-half lead before Argentina scored twice late through Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martinez to secure a 2-1 victory.
DateFrance’s OpponentStageResultJune 16, 2026SenegalGroup StageWin (3-1)June 22, 2026IraqGroup StageWin (3-0)June 26, 2026NorwayGroup StageWin (4-1)June 30, 2026SwedenRound of 32Win (3-0)July 4, 2026ParaguayRound of 16Win (1-0)July 9, 2026MoroccoQuarter-finalsWin (2-0)July 14, 2026SpainSemi-finalsLoss (0-2)
Anthony Gordon appeared to have sent England toward its first World Cup final in six decades when he opened the scoring, only for Argentina’s dramatic comeback to crush those hopes.
DateEngland’s OpponentStageResultJune 17, 2026CroatiaGroup StageWin (4-2)June 23, 2026GhanaGroup StageDraw (0-0)June 27, 2026PanamaGroup StageWin (2-0)July 1, 2026DR CongoRound of 32Win (2-1)July 5, 2026MexicoRound of 16Win (3-2)July 11, 2026NorwayQuarter-finalsWin (2-1 AET)July 15, 2026ArgentinaSemi-finalsLoss (1-2)
Will Mbappe and Kane play?
Both Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are expected to start for their respective national teams. Although neither side wanted to be involved in the third-place playoff, individual honors have added another layer of intrigue.
The Frenchman enters the match tied on eight goals with Lionel Messi, although the Argentine currently leads the Golden Boot race thanks to the assists tiebreaker. Another goal would also move the French captain closer to matching the all-time World Cup scoring record.
Kylian Mbappe of France (R) and Harry Kane of England (L)
On the other hand, the English star remains in contention as well after an impressive tournament, while Jude Bellingham has also enjoyed an outstanding scoring campaign. England, therefore, still has attacking incentives despite missing out on the final.
France vs England: Projected lineups
France projected XI (4-2-3-1): Samba; Gusto, Konate, Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Kante, Zaire-Emery; Doué, Cherki, Dembele; Mbappe.
England projected XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.