Are Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane playing? France vs England set for third place in 2026 World Cup match
France and England have the last chance to leave the 2026 World Cup with a positive result, but one question has been removed from the build-up to the third place qualifier: will Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane take the field? As both countries prepare for an emotional farewell to the tournament, fans are eager to find out how the top two players fit into the plans of a game few teams have ever wanted to play.
While Kylian Mbappe he continues to pursue another golden shield as well Harry Kane remains one of England’s biggest attacking threats, with both teams coming into the tournament carrying the disappointment of a semi-final exit. This game gives an opportunity to finish moving higher even though they are a little short of the World Cup finals.
Both national teams entered the playoffs with genuine aspirations of lifting the trophy, but instead found themselves fighting for third place in Miami.
France suffered a losing to Spain 2-0 in the semi-finals after being widely viewed as one of the favorites for the tournament. England’s exit proved even more painful, managing to take the lead in the second half Argentina scored two late goals through Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martinez to win 2-1.
| The day | French opponent | The stage | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2026 | in Senegal | Group Stage | Win (3-1) |
| June 22, 2026 | Iraq | Group Stage | Win (3-0) |
| June 26, 2026 | in Norway | Group Stage | Win (4-1) |
| June 30, 2026 | in Sweden | Round 32 | Win (3-0) |
| July 4, 2026 | Paraguay | Round 16 | Win (1-0) |
| July 9, 2026 | Morocco | Quarter-final | Win (2-0) |
| July 14, 2026 | Spain | Semi-finalist | Loss (0-2) |
Anthony Gordon looked set to send England to their first World Cup final in six decades when he opened the scoring, only for Argentina to make a stunning comeback to end those hopes.
| The day | England’s opponent | The stage | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 17, 2026 | Croatia | Group Stage | Win (4-2) |
| June 23, 2026 | Ghana | Group Stage | Draw (0-0) |
| June 27, 2026 | in Panama | Group Stage | Win (2-0) |
| July 1, 2026 | DR Congo | Round 32 | Win (2-1) |
| July 5, 2026 | in Mexico | Round 16 | Win (3-2) |
| July 11, 2026 | in Norway | Quarter-final | Win (2-1 AET) |
| July 15, 2026 | In Argentina | Semi-finalist | Loss (1-2) |
Will Mbappe and Kane play?
Both Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are expected to start for their national teams. Although neither team wanted to be involved in the third-place playoff, individual honors added another challenge.
The French player enters this match with eight goals tied with Lionel Messialthough Argentina currently lead the race for the Golden Boot thanks to the tiebreaker. Another goal will bring the French captain closer to reaching the World Cup goalscoring record.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (R) and England’s Harry Kane (L)
On the other hand, the English star remains in contention again after an impressive campaign, while Jude Bellingham has also enjoyed an impressive goalscoring campaign. Therefore, England still have incentives despite missing out on the finals.
France vs England: Scheduled players
France designed XI (4-2-3-1): Samba; Gusto, Konate, Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Kante, Zaire-Emery; Doue, Cherki, Dembele; Mbappe.
England revealed XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Spence, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Four times.
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