Explained: Why England and France are fighting for third place; Golden Boot contest, prize money, everything you need to know | Football News

England and France seek redemption in World Cup bronze medal final

There is one trophy left to be awarded at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but before Spain and Argentina meet in Sunday’s final, England and France will be back in action for the final time in a third-place play-off at the tournament, now officially dubbed by FIFA as the “third-place final.” “Bronze medal final.”Neither side expected their campaigns to end here. England suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 semi-final loss to defending champions Argentina, while France’s hopes of lifting a third World Cup were dashed a day earlier when they beat Spain 2-0.Even though neither country reached the finals of their goals, there’s still plenty at stake when they meet in Miami.

Why does the World Cup have a third or fourth place final?

The concept is simple. The losing semi-finalists will compete in a final to decide who finishes third and who finishes fourth.For FIFA, it ensures that each team that reaches the semi-finals gets the final spot. It also fills the gap between the semi-finals and finals, providing another spectacular event for supporters, broadcasters and host cities.

France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) reacts during the World Cup semifinal match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

While some players felt it was an unnecessary extra race after the disappointment of missing out on the final, others jumped at the chance to end the tournament with a win and a podium. It’s also usually a very exciting game, a clash between two elite teams who went unbeaten in the competition, only to lose at the last hurdle. In the case of England and France, who both have world-class attacking talent, Golden Boot contenders and players capable of scoring a hat-trick on the biggest stage, this is more than just a consolation game.

England’s Harry Kane (9) hugs England’s Anthony Gordon (18) after the World Cup semifinal football match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

How long has it been around?

The third and fourth place finals have been part of World Cup history almost from beginning to end. It was first introduced at the 1934 World Cup in Italy, where Germany finished third, beating Austria 3-2. The match was also played at the 1938 French Championship, but disappeared from the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. The tournament uses a unique finals round-robin group stage to determine the champion rather than the traditional knockout stage, meaning there are no semi-finals and therefore no third-place play-offs. The event was repeated at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland and has been featured at every tournament since.Interestingly, there was no third-place final at the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, which featured 13 teams from three leagues. On the contrary, the United States team and Yugoslavia team that lost the semi-finals were ranked according to their respective overall results. The United States team was officially ranked third and the Yugoslavia team was ranked fourth.

Does it count toward the official record?

Yes. The match was a fully sanctioned World Cup match, meaning every stat recorded had official significance.Goalscoring helps:

One of the most famous examples occurred in 1958, when France’s Just Fontaine scored four goals in a 6-3 victory over West Germany. These goals brought his World Cup tally to 13, a World Cup record that still stands today.

Why this year’s competition is even more important

This bronze medal final could have a major impact on the race for the Golden Boot.The standings after the semi-finals are as follows:

Messi is currently in the lead as assists are the first tiebreaker when players are tied on goals. However, with Argentina not playing again until the final, Mbappe still has a chance to equalize or advance in Saturday’s play-offs. Kane and Bellingham also remain mathematically contentious, despite needing multiple goals.

Is there a trophy?

Not exactly.The winning team officially finished third and received a bronze medal, but no individual trophy was awarded.However, there are financial incentives.FIFA bonuses for the top four teams are:

That means a win in the bronze medal final is worth an extra $2 million compared to a fourth-place finish.

How did England and France fare in their previous bronze medal finals?

The French team participated in this competition for the fourth time and achieved greater success in history.Their previous results were:

Meanwhile, England are still seeking their first third-place play-off win.Their previous performances have ended in failure:

Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 in the most recent bronze medal final at the 2022 World Cup.

Matches that usually result in goals

Despite often being labeled the tournament’s least glamorous match, history shows the bronze medal final rarely lacks entertainment.Since Poland’s 1-0 win over Brazil in 1974, every third-place play-off game has featured at least two goals, making it one of the consistently highest-scoring matches in the tournament, a trend that has been reflected in recent World Cups:

What do managers say?

Neither Thomas Tuchel nor Didier Deschamps concealed their disappointment at missing out on the final.Deschamps said: “We are fighting for third place so we will do everything we can to get it. We didn’t achieve where we wanted or expected. The disappointment is in line with our ambitions but we have to accept it.”Tuchel acknowledged the emotional challenges faced by both teams.“None of our players, not a French player, wanted to play in this match. They wanted to play in the final. We gave everything to get to the final. Everyone was there to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is.”England and France will meet at Miami Stadium in Florida.For Indian viewers, the match is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 AM IST on Sunday, July 19, with the winner leaving the United States with a bronze medal, an additional $2 million in prize money and, perhaps most importantly, a chance to end their World Cup campaign with a final victory before attention turns to Sunday’s exciting final between Spain and Argentina.