England face France with pride and prizes still at stake
England meet France in the third-place play-off on Saturday at 22:00 BST. The match comes three days after Argentina beat them in the semi-final.
That defeat extended England’s wait for a first men’s major trophy since 1966. Thomas Tuchel’s side cannot fly home yet, and the game offers more than consolation for a campaign that fell short of the final.
Golden Boot race remains live
The play-off still counts towards the Golden Boot. France captain Kylian Mbappe enters level with Lionel Messi as joint top scorer on eight goals.
Messi holds the edge with four assists to Mbappe’s three. Goals in the third-place match can shift the standings before the final.
Should Mbappe score or provide two assists, he would follow Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci, who took the 1990 Golden Boot by scoring in the third-place contest against England. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham sit two goals behind the leaders. Though fewer assists mean a hat-trick would likely be required, an England player could still claim the prize.
Chance for England’s best finish since 1966
Victory over France would give England men their best World Cup finish for 60 years. Only the 1966 triumph would rank above this year’s efforts.
The Three Lions lost to Italy in 1990. They also lost to Belgium in 2018. A win would break that sequence of third-place play-off defeats.
Rotation could open doors for fringe players
After a gruelling expanded schedule, both managers may rest stars and hand minutes to those still waiting. Kobbie Mainoo has won 14 England caps but not featured at this World Cup.
Tuchel could hand the Manchester United midfielder his World Cup debut. Declan Rice may get a breather after his recent illness.
Ollie Watkins has played just six minutes so far. Ivan Toney emerged off the bench for about as many against Argentina as England searched for an equaliser.
France’s N’Golo Kante, 35, has yet to appear and likely faces his last World Cup chance. Rayan Cherki has been limited to 85 minutes for Didier Deschamps’ side, raising the prospect of a first start.
A final competitive fix before the drought
Once Sunday’s final passes, English football offers little live competition until the Carabao Cup preliminary round nearly two weeks later. The EFL returns on 14 August.
The Premier League is back on 21 August. The next England international is late September because of changed timings for international breaks.
That makes Saturday’s contest between two top sides the last competitive fixture of its kind for weeks. Fans should get their fix while they can.