World Cup 2026: Third-place play-off – an unwanted tie or a match with a ‘golden layer’?

This is a match that has been played at every FIFA World Cup for the last 72 years.

The third-place play-offs, known as the Bronze Final by Fifa, will come to England and France on Saturday.

France head coach Didier Deschamps summed up the mood in his camp ahead of the match in Miami: “The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to happen.”

England coach Thomas Tuchel had a similar opinion after Argentina’s defeat in Atlanta on Wednesday night and said: “None of our players and no French player wants to play this match.”

However, speaking to the press on Friday, Tuchel was more positive about the bronze medal chances. “If we win the game tomorrow, we will have the best results of the World Cup in 60 years. That’s one way of looking at it,” he said.

The play-offs give players who have been playing for minutes or who have not yet participated in the tournament the opportunity to have their own moment on the field. There are also fans who pay for tickets and travel expenses and wait for the teams to perform.

England could use this match as an opportunity to introduce James Trafford to World Cup football or give Kobbie Mainoo his first World Cup minutes in an England jersey.

Former France and Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate played 14 minutes for France in their third group match against a heavily rotated Norway team, but he is not enthused about the prospect of increasing those minutes in Miami.

“None of us want to play this game for third place,” he said. “But we have no choice.”