Match Preview: France vs. England - the bronze final is still a final

France and England did not get the match they wanted, but they still have a medal to play for. In Miami, who can turn semifinal disappointment into a finish that feels earned?

France vs. England Saturday, July 18, 5:00 p.m. Miami local time / 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT, Miami Stadium. 1

France arrive after a 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain. This is their fourth bronze final: wins in 1958 and 1986, a loss to Poland in 1982. Victory would make this Didier Deschamps' final match as coach and give France a seventh World Cup podium finish. 2

England were ten minutes from the final before Argentina turned the semifinal around. They lost their previous bronze finals, to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018. A win would be England's first third-place finish, with added 2022 revenge after France eliminated them in the quarter-final. 3

France should look for Mbappe early. He has eight goals, level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race; Kane and Jude Bellingham have six each. England's best route is to get Bellingham between France's midfield and defense, then let Kane pull a center-back out. That could decide whether this becomes a real game or a tired exhibition. 1

My lean: France have the cleaner emotional reset and the more dangerous finisher. France 2-1 England.

"Of course we want to finish on a positive note," France defender Maxence Lacroix told FIFA. "It's not in our DNA to give up on this final match." 2