France and England to play for third place in World Cup
France and England are set to compete in the World Cup third-place play-off match today in Miami. The game follows both teams’ defeats in their respective semi-final matches. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, which is 10 p.m. BST.
Didier Deschamps will manage France for the final time in this match. His team lost 2-0 to Spain in the first semi-final. England, on the other hand, aims to conclude their World Cup campaign positively after losing 2-1 to Argentina, a game where they squandered a late lead.
Semi-final outcomes and team performances
France entered their semi-final as favorites but fell behind early due to a penalty, ultimately losing 2-0 to Spain. This marked the first time since 1986 that Les Bleus lost in a semi-final, having previously won four consecutive semi-final matches in 1998, 2006, 2018, and 2022. Prior to the semi-finals, France had a relatively smooth path through the tournament, winning group stage matches with an aggregate score of 10-2 and then defeating Sweden and Paraguay in the knockout rounds.
England‘s semi-final defeat to Argentina saw them take a lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon. However, Argentina scored two goals in a seven-minute period, securing a 2-1 victory. England‘s possession significantly dropped between Gordon‘s goal and Lautaro Martínez‘s game-winner, holding only 12% possession during that time. This semi-final loss mirrored a previous instance in 2018 when England also squandered a 1-0 lead against Croatia in a World Cup semi-final.
England‘s recent history in major tournaments includes being beaten semi-finalists in the 2018 World Cup, beaten finalists in Euro 2020, and beaten quarter-finalists in the 2022 World Cup. Harry Kane, who has made many appearances for England, has scored two goals across four semi-finals and two finals for his national team.
Golden Boot race continues
Despite their teams being out of contention for the World Cup title, several players from France and England are still in the running for the Golden Boot award. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane are among the contenders. Mbappe is positioned to potentially overtake Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts.
The current standings for the Golden Boot show Lionel Messi (Argentina) with 8 goals and 4 assists, and Kylian Mbappe (France) with 8 goals and 3 assists. Erling Haaland (Norway) has 7 goals. Jude Bellingham (England) has 6 goals and 1 assist, while Harry Kane (England) also has 6 goals and 1 assist. Ousmane Dembele (France) has 5 goals and 2 assists, and Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) has 5 goals and 1 assist. Assists serve as the primary tiebreaker, followed by fewer minutes played.
Kylian Mbappe has already become France‘s all-time leading scorer in international football during this World Cup, surpassing Olivier Giroud. He also made his 21st World Cup appearance for his country in the semi-final against Spain. Mbappe failed to register a shot on target against Spain, which also occurred against England in the 2022 quarter-final, a match France won 2-1.
The match will be broadcast on FOX and can be streamed on FOX One, FOX Sports, and the FOX Sports App.
Betting odds for the match, as of July 18, include France at -110 on the moneyline, England at +280, and a draw at +280. The over/under for total goals is 3.5, with the over at +108 and the under at -132. Kylian Mbappe is listed at -185 to score at any time during the match.
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Source: nytimes.com
