England and France Battle for Bronze in 2026 World Cup Third-Place Showdown

Two European soccer giants will compete for the bronze medal Saturday after both fell short of advancing to the championship game. England and France will meet at Miami Stadium in the third-place contest, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and the match airing on FOX.

Spain’s dominant defensive performance eliminated France in Tuesday’s semifinal with a 2-0 victory. The Spanish squad prevented France from reaching their third consecutive World Cup final in the tournament’s pinnacle match.

France’s defensive record heading into the Spain matchup was formidable, having surrendered just four goals across seven games. However, an early defensive lapse proved costly when veteran left-back Lucas Digne committed a critical penalty kick foul in the 22nd minute.

Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty, and Pedro Porro added insurance in the 58th minute to seal the win. Spain’s shutdown defense proved impenetrable for the remainder of the contest, extending their tournament shutout streak to six games.

England’s semifinal against Argentina took a devastating turn despite opening the scoring through Anthony Gordon’s acrobatic finish in the 55th minute. What appeared to be a path to the final unraveled after Argentina equalized through Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute.

Lautaro Martinez completed Argentina’s stunning turnaround, heading in the go-ahead goal during stoppage time to secure the 2-1 victory. Lionel Messi provided the assist on Martinez’s winning goal, sending Argentina to the final while ending England’s championship aspirations.

The third-place contest gives England a chance to finish their tournament with a medal. Saturday’s bronze medal match will be broadcast live across FOX platforms for viewers throughout North America.