Both World Cup 2026 semifinals are done, and the two beaten sides now meet in the tournament's last non-final fixture: France vs England, the third-place play-off, on Saturday, July 18, 5pm ET, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida -- one day before the Argentina-Spain final at MetLife Stadium.

How Both Sides Got Here

France reached the semifinals unbeaten, with wins over Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco, before Spain shut them out 2-0 in Arlington on July 14 -- a result that also ended Kylian Mbappe's chase of Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record for this tournament.

England won four of their last five matches, including an extra-time quarterfinal win over Norway built on a Jude Bellingham brace, before Argentina came from behind to beat them 2-1 in Atlanta on July 15, Lionel Messi setting up both of Argentina's late goals.

What's at Stake

Officially known as FIFA's "Match for Third Place," the game decides the bronze medal, formal recognition as the tournament's third-best team, extra FIFA world ranking points, and $29 million in prize money -- $2 million more than the fourth-place finisher receives. It carries no bearing on the final.

Match Details

  • Fixture: France vs England, Third Place Play-off -- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, Saturday, July 18, 2026, 5pm ET.
  • The final: Argentina vs Spain follows the next day, July 19, 3pm ET, at MetLife Stadium -- see our final preview.

For the full bracket and every verified result, see our match hub.

Sources & Further Reading