The Three Lions will take on familiar opponents in the so-called ‘Bronze Final’ as England meet France in the World Cup’s third-place play-off on Saturday. Gareth Southgate’s team will attempt to recover from their heartbreaking 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina.

Although England’s dream of ending six decades of disappointment has been shattered, their World Cup journey is not yet over. They will now travel to Miami, Florida, for a fixture that neither side would have ideally wanted to contest.

Thomas Tuchel’s men were undone late on when Argentina came from behind to secure victory and book their spot in Sunday’s grand final. France, meanwhile, fell 2-0 to Spain in the other semi-final, leaving them to compete for third place.

England have previously featured in two World Cup third-place matches, losing 2-1 to hosts Italy in 1990 and 2-0 to Belgium in 2018.

France have played in three such matches before, recording victories of 6-3 over West Germany in 1958 and 4-2 after extra time against Belgium in 1986. Their only defeat came in 1982, when they were edged out 3-2 by Poland.

While England will look inward following their painful elimination by Argentina, France will seek to conclude their campaign positively in what will be Didier Deschamps’ final game as head coach.

Kylian Mbappe will also have his sights set on retaining the Golden Boot for a second straight World Cup. The French and Real Madrid forward is currently level with Lionel Messi for goals scored but trails the Argentine by one assist heading into the final match of the tournament.

The simplest reason for holding a third-place play-off is revenue. The additional game allows FIFA to generate more ticket sales, while broadcasters can profit by selling advertising slots during the match.

Additionally, the third-place fixture influences global rankings and gives players the opportunity to restore pride and conclude their campaign on a positive note.

For individuals like Mbappe, it offers a chance to secure personal honours such as the Golden Boot or the Golden Glove.

The first official third-place play-off was held in 1934, the second edition of the World Cup, where Germany defeated Austria 3-2.

At the inaugural 1930 tournament, third place was decided by goal difference rather than an additional match.

There was no third-place play-off in 1950, as FIFA used a round-robin format for the first post-war World Cup.

The third-place play-off was reinstated in 1954 and has remained part of the competition ever since.

In 2026, FIFA announced that the third-place play-off would officially be called the Bronze Final.