France Beats England 3-1 for World Cup Third Place in Miami

Q: Will Kylian Mbappé's Golden Boot chase overshadow England's historic chance for a third-place finish in Miami today?

Probably yes — at least in the wider narrative around the match — but not entirely. Mbappé’s Golden Boot chase is the sharper global storyline because it is a live individual race with Lionel Messi. He goes into the third-place playoff tied on eight goals, with goals in this match counting toward the award. He is also chasing a rare back-to-back Golden Boot and edging closer to the all-time World Cup scoring landmarks. Third-place games have often shaped the Golden Boot race before, so his personal stakes are unusually high for a fixture many see as a consolation match. That said, England’s incentive is substantial and should not be dismissed. A win over France in Miami would give England their first World Cup bronze medal and their best men’s World Cup finish since 1966. Given England lost their previous third-place playoffs in 1990 and 2018, this is a genuine historical opportunity, even if it falls short of the final they wanted. The likely balance is this: for neutral audiences and broadcasters, Mbappé’s scoring chase is the headline. For England, the bigger meaning is collective — ending a poor record in this fixture and securing a landmark finish. The match also carries practical weight, including ranking implications, prize money and, for France, a chance to send off Didier Deschamps on a high. So Mbappé’s pursuit may dominate attention, but England’s chance at a best-since-1966 finish remains the deeper team story.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18

France secured third place with a 3-1 win over England in Saturday’s World Cup playoff in Miami.
The result extended England’s poor record in the match to 0-3, after previous third-place defeats to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018.
France entered with extra motivation in Didier Deschamps’ final game, with Ibrahima Konaté saying the squad wanted to repay their coach by winning the “bronze medal.”
The third-place playoff remains a World Cup staple despite its low prestige, often producing open, high-scoring games even when both teams would rather be elsewhere.