Before reaching the semifinals, both France and England were considered stronger than their respective opponents. However, neither team managed to secure a spot in the final.

Coach Didier Deschamps conversed with an assistant referee during France's 0-2 loss to Spain in the World Cup 2026 semifinal at Dallas Stadium, Texas, US, on 14/7. Photo: AP

France fell to Spain, a team boasting a quality midfield with Rodri and a nearly perfect defensive system. Deschamps' squad had advanced to the semifinals convincingly, but for the first time, they faced an opponent capable of limiting their formidable attack. France recorded an expected goals (xG) metric of just 0.31, their lowest in a World Cup match.

Meanwhile, England came close to reaching the final but let victory slip away in a controversial manner. After Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the second half, Thomas Tuchel's squad opted to drop deep defensively instead of maintaining pressure.

This decision led England to cede control of the game entirely to Argentina. In the approximately 30 minutes between taking the lead and Enzo Fernandez's equalizer, England's possession rate was only 12%. They paid the price as Lionel Messi continued to shine with two more assists.

This is not the first time England has participated in a World Cup third-place playoff. They previously lost to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018.

France has more experience in this type of match. The Blues have played in four third-place playoffs, winning against Germany in 1958, losing to Poland in 1982, and defeating Belgium in 1986. All three matches featured at least five goals.

Hong Duy