France vs England prediction: 2026 World Cup betting tips and odds | OneFootball

England take on France in the game no one wants to play on Saturday night – the World Cup third-place play-off after both failed to make it to the final (kick-off 10pm, live on BBC One).

France were the favourites to lift the trophy before they were surprisingly schooled by European champions Spain in their semi-final on Tuesday, before England crashed out 24 hours later as Argentina came from behind again to win 2-1 in added time.

England still have the chance to improve on their record under previous manager Gareth Southgate, who led the side to fourth place back in 2018, but France, in a lot of ways, offer more of a threat than Argentina.

They will also want to go out on a high in head coach Didier Deschamps’ final game in charge of Les Bleus after 14 years in charge.

He led them to the World Cup title in 2018, and they were runners-up to Argentina in 2022, but this time around the best they can hope for is third place.

France are the favourites to come out on top according to UK betting sites at odds of 19/20, while you can get 29/10 on England to snatch that third-place finish.

France vs England tips: Mbappe to keep up the pressure on Messi

It will be tough for both sides to put their disappointment behind them and put on a brave face when everyone involved would rather be starting their holidays, but for one player at least there is still the chance of winning the Golden Boot award.

Lionel Messi’s two assists against England moved him to the top of the list, but he and Kylian Mbappe both sit on eight goals apiece with one game left to play.

The France striker has the chance to put the pressure right back on Messi if he can add to his tally on Saturday.

He has played against England twice before but never scored against them, and the best price you can get on betting apps on him scoring at any time is 5/6.

He has scored 56 goals in 59 appearances for club and country so far this season, with two or more on 15 separate occasions, including against Senegal, Iraq and Sweden in this competition.

Defensively, England looked all at sea in the latter stages against Messi and co, and if they give Mbappe a sniff of a chance, he won’t need asking twice.

France vs England prediction 1: Mbappe to score first 10/3 Spreadex

A third-place finish would be England’s best since victory back in 1966, so the game in Miami still gives Tuchel’s squad the chance to make history and continue their journey towards that elusive second World Cup title.

They have lost their two previous third-place play-offs, losing to Belgium in 2018 and Italy back in 1990 when Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci were on target for the host nation in Bari.

Les Bleus have come out on top in two of their three play-off matches; first back in 1958 and again in 1986 against Belgium, but they were beaten four years previously by Poland.

While France will want to end Deschamps' reign on a high and Mbappe will want to keep alive his chances of securing the Golden Boot, it remains to be seen what type of side England will field, after all several squad players have barely kicked a ball.

Forwards Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney have played just seven minutes, plus added on time, between them and both will be disappointed they could not have had more of an impact.

Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka’s involvement has been limited while Kobbie Mainoo and Trevoh Chalobah are yet to be seen.

They stand more of a chance of featuring in this one, while Kane is likely to start again as he has featured in all but 40 minutes of the seven World Cup games so far.

Following the criticism of the England boss, it will be interesting how he approaches this one, after all France have won five of their last seven meetings, including last time out at the 2022 World Cup.

They met at the quarter-final stage, and despite a penalty from Kane, goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud saw France progress.

England's only win in their last nine meetings came in a friendly back in 2015 when Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney were on target in a 2-0 win at Wembley.

Both teams have only failed to score once in the tournament, and England have scored 14 goals in seven games and conceded eight, while France have netted 16 and only conceded four and two of those came last time out against Spain.

France vs England team news

France: Arsenal defender William Saliba will miss the match with a back injury that requires surgery, so Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix, who replaced him in the semi-final match, is likely to get his first start.

England: Reece James is likely to miss out again after picking up another injury, but Jarrell Quansah does come back into the reckoning after a two-match suspension.

France vs England head-to-head record

Key stat: England have not beaten France in a tournament since the 1982 World Cup group stage, a run that includes two draws and two defeats.

France vs England form guide

France

Responsible gambling

If you're planning on having a bet on the 2026 World Cup, it's vital to practice responsible gambling.

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