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Although France and England may not have reached the World Cup final, they still have something to play for.
The two European powerhouses will play for bronze in the World Cup third-place match at Miami Stadium on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on FOX.
France missed out on reaching their third consecutive World Cup final when they lost to Spain 2-0 on Tuesday. The French had dominated the entire World Cup prior to the loss to Spain.
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(Left) England’s Harry Kane leaves the field at the end of the first half during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Right) France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the World Cup quarter-final soccer quarter-final in Morocco in July, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Thursday, in France, Boston, Massachusetts, in soccer near France, Boston, Massachusetts. 2026. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Newsroom; Steven Senne/AP Newsroom)
France had won by more goals in all but one of their six wins leading up to the semi-finals, a round of 16 victory over Paraguay. In seven World Cup games, they only allowed a total of four goals.
Spain’s first goal in the semi-final came after a critical error. Veteran defender Lucas Digne misread the ball and challenged for a cross, but instead kicked Lamine Yamal and committed a foul that gave Spain a penalty in the 22nd minute.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up for Spain and buried the penalty, giving the Spaniards a lead they would not relinquish.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead in the 58th minute when he broke through the French defense and found the back of the net after beating France goalkeeper Mike Maignan on a crisp pass from Dani Olmo.
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France’s Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match as France are eliminated from the World Cup in Arlington, Texas. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
The French desperately tried to get back into the game, but the Spanish defense was too sound for them to break through. Spain held on for a historic sixth shutout of this World Cup.
For England, they were around 35 minutes plus stoppage time from progressing to the World Cup final after taking a 1-0 lead in the 55th minute.
Anthony Gordon scored when he buried a cross from Morgan Rogers to put England on the board with an acrobatic finish. Harry Kane sparked the counterattack with a long pass that left the Argentinian defense behind for the first time all game.
Unfortunately for England, it was all Argentina after that. After falling behind, the Argentines made a furious push to tie the game.
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Lautaro Martinez of Argentina scores his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images)
Argentina were kept off the scoreboard for 85 minutes and finally broke through when Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernandez just outside the penalty area and the 25-year-old curled a shot around England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford into the back of the net for 1-1.
Lautaro Martinez then played the hero as he came off the bench and into Argentine football history by scoring the winning goal in stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Messi recorded his second assist after he collected a loose ball and played a beautiful pass into the penalty area where Martinez was waiting unmarked. Martinez headed the ball past Pickford to send the Argentine fans into a frenzy as they completed the comeback.
Argentina’s comeback ended the Three Lions’ bid for a World Cup title, but England can still win bronze by beating France on Saturday.
WATCH THE WC FINAL ON FOX ONE
Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez reacts after Argentina’s victory over England in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Jacob Kupferman/AP)
When: Saturday 17 July 2026
Where: Miami Stadium, Miami, Florida
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports
