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France and England meet in World Cup play-off with Mbappe eyeing Golden Boot
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
France squad
- Full squad
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1 Brice SAMBA Goalkeeper
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2 Malo GUSTO Defender
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3 Lucas Digne Defender
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4 Dayot UPAMECANO Defender
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5 Jules KOUNDE Defender
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6 Manu KONE Midfielder
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7 Ousmane DEMBELE Forward
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8 Aurelien TCHOUAMENI Midfielder
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9 Marcus THURAM Forward
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10 Kylian MBAPPE Forward
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11 Michael OLISE Forward
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12 Bradley BARCOLA Forward
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13 Ngolo KANTE Midfielder
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14 Adrien RABIOT Midfielder
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15 Ibrahima KONATE Defender
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16 Mike MAIGNAN Goalkeeper
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17 William SALIBA Defender
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18 Warren ZAIRE-EMERY Midfielder
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19 Theo HERNANDEZ Defender
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20 Desire DOUE Forward
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21 Lucas HERNANDEZ Defender
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22 Jean-Philippe MATETA Forward
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23 Robin RISSER Goalkeeper
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24 Rayan CHERKI Midfielder
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25 Maghnes AKLIOUCHE Midfielder
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26 Maxence Lacroix Defender
England squad
- Full squad
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1 Jordan PICKFORD Goalkeeper
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2 Ezri KONSA Defender
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3 Nico OREILLY Defender
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4 Declan RICE Midfielder
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5 John STONES Defender
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6 Marc GUEHI Defender
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7 Bukayo SAKA Forward
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8 Elliot ANDERSON Midfielder
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9 Harry KANE Forward
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10 Jude BELLINGHAM Midfielder
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11 Marcus RASHFORD Forward
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12 Trevoh CHALOBAH Defender
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13 Dean Henderson Goalkeeper
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14 Jordan HENDERSON Midfielder
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15 Dan BURN Defender
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16 Kobbie MAINOO Midfielder
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17 Morgan ROGERS Midfielder
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18 Anthony GORDON Forward
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19 Ollie WATKINS Forward
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20 Noni MADUEKE Forward
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21 Eberechi EZE Midfielder
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22 Ivan TONEY Forward
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23 James TRAFFORD Goalkeeper
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24 Reece JAMES Defender
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25 Djed SPENCE Defender
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26 Jarell QUANSAH Defender
France meet England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off, a fixture unfamiliar to many American viewers but one carrying individual as well as national stakes. Kylian Mbappé is using the match to pursue the tournament's Golden Boot, putting him in direct competition with Lionel Messi ahead of the final, while France look to salvage some pride from a disappointing tournament that ended with a 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain.
France's semi-final exit sparked unrest in Paris, with police reportedly arresting 98 people amid chaos on the streets following the loss. England, for their part, reach the third-place game after their own tournament ended short of the final, with midfielder Jude Bellingham sharing a poem sent by the team's bus driver following their exit. Messi and Lamine Yamal, meanwhile, have led Argentina and Spain respectively into the World Cup final.
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In short
- France face England in the World Cup third-place play-off
- Mbappé chases the Golden Boot, rivalling Messi
- Paris saw unrest and 98 arrests after France's semi-final exit
How this story developed
- 4 months ago The framing of Messi and Yamal's involvement shifts from having already secured their final places to actively gearing up to lead their sides out in the championship match.
- 4 months ago France face England in the World Cup third-place play-off amid unrest in Paris after their semi-final exit, with Mbappé chasing the Golden Boot as Messi and Yamal prepare Argentina and Spain for the final.
Explained simply
The World Cup is football’s biggest international tournament, held every four years between national teams. After the semi-finals, the two losing sides play a third-place match, while the winners meet in the final to decide the champions.
France and England are two of Europe’s leading national teams, with Kylian Mbappé a forward for France and Jude Bellingham a midfielder for England. Mbappé is also competing for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi among the other leading contenders.
Coverage · 2 sources
Europe Football Sport UK World
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Originally published by Fox News as “France takes on England in World Cup third-place game with Mbappe chasing Golden Boot”.