# Football Daily | France v England in the third-place playoff: the game nobody wants to play

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/football-daily-france-v-england-in-the-third-place-playoff-the-game-nobody-wants-to-play/
- Published: 2026-07-18T11:46:20+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/18/football-daily-email-gwc-england-france
- Topics: Europe, Fitness, Football, Health, Sport, UK, World

## Key points

- France and England meet in Saturday's third-place playoff despite both teams openly expressing reluctance to participate
- Historical data shows these matches deliver high-scoring entertainment and have helped nations achieve career-best finishes
- England faces an unfavourable record in such fixtures, having lost to Italy (1990) and Belgium (2018)

## Summary

France and England will face each other in Saturday's third-place playoff, a World Cup fixture with roots stretching back to 1934 that nonetheless generates little genuine enthusiasm from either squad. Whilst such matches have historically delivered engaging performances and produced higher goal averages than World Cup finals, both managers and players have openly admitted their reluctance to compete in what amounts to a tournament afterthought.

England enters with a poor record in third-place deciders, having lost both previous appearances. Despite the expressed lack of motivation from both camps, the encounter remains one of only two remaining matches in the tournament, offering a final opportunity for either side to secure a consolation achievement, however diminished its value may seem to those competing.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.