liveUpdated 1m agoFollow live as England and France meet in Miami in the third-place play-off at the 2026 World Cup.The Athletic Live TeamJuly 18, 2026 at 9:40 AM EDTEngland and Harry Kane are looking to end the World Cup on a positive note against France. Getty ImagesFrance vs England — LatestFrance and England meet in the World Cup third place play-off match in Miami today.Didier Deschamps is taking charge of France for the final time after his side’s 2-0 defeat against Spain in the first semi-final.England, meanwhile, are looking to end their World Cup on a positive note after squandering a late lead in the 2-1 defeat to Argentina a day later.Kick-off: 5pm ET, 10pm BSTTV: FOX, Fubo (try for free), BBC (UK)Join the discuss tab or email us your thoughts: live@theathletic.com The history between France and England Getty ImagesEngland beat France 2-0 en route to World Cup glory in 1966 and then repeated the dose in a 1982 group game, when Bryan Robson scored one of the fastest goals in tournament history after just 27 seconds. The third World Cup meeting between the sides took place four years ago in Qatar, and ended in a 2-1 defeat for England at the quarter-final stage.There have also been five England-France matches at the European Championship (three draws, two French wins). Indeed, factor in friendlies and the rivalry has skewed France’s way in recent years: England have won just one of the past encounters against the French, a friendly at Wembley in 2015.How England got here Getty ImagesEngland’s progress wasn’t entirely smooth sailing prior to the semi-final, but they had shown moments of excellence and gritty resolve. They beat Croatia and Panama in the groups, either side of a goalless draw against Ghana, then rallied late on against DR Congo, dug deep against Mexico, and needed extra time to get past Norway in the knockouts.Targeting a first World Cup final in 60 years, Thomas Tuchel’s side were perfectly poised an hour into their fiery semi-final against Argentina, with Anthony Gordon’s second-half finish putting them ahead.But from there, the manager’s tactics backfired spectacularly. Defensive changes invited wave upon wave of Argentinian attack, and eventually the pressure told: Enzo Fernandez levelled with an effort from distance before Lautaro Martinez headed the reigning champions in front, both assisted by Lionel Messi.How France got here Getty ImagesFrance were seen as favourites for much of the World Cup, largely untroubled before their semi-final against Spain. They were unbeaten in the groups, seeing off Senegal, Iraq, and a rotated Norway side, before scoring six unanswered goals against Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco across three knockout games. But everything unravelled when France met Spain on Tuesday. Their all-star front line was stifled, they were outplayed in Dallas and fell to a 2-0 defeat behind a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a second-half strike from Pedro Porro. It was a crushing end to their high-flying aspirations for the tournament. Today’s venue Getty ImagesWe’re at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for today’s game — the 67,518-seat venue which is home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.This the seventh and final World Cup game hosted in Miami. France are yet to play here, while England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-final in this stadium. There is no roof on Hard Rock Stadium, so players will be exposed to the warm and potentially inclement weather expected during today’s game. Storms and showers are forecast in Miami throughout the weekend. Subscribe to The Athletic The AthleticThere is no better time to be a sports fan.Sure, the World Cup is wrapping up but that doesn’t mean other sports slow down. MLB regular season is still progressing, with the trade deadline approaching. NBA and NHL offseasons are in full swing with NFL training camp on the horizon. College football will be starting soon and yes, don’t forget about the new Premier League season and the U.S. Open in tennis. The Athletic is the best place to get the highest quality sports journalism. Get your subscription here to access our award-winning coverage across numerous sports.How to watch France vs England Getty ImagesAs well as following our live coverage here, you can watch today’s game on the following channels. U.S.: FOX, Fubo (try for free)UK: BBCCanada: TSNAustralia: SBSWhat time is kick-off? Getty ImagesToday’s game gets underway at 5pm ET in Miami, which is 2pm PT on the west coast of the United States. In the UK, that’s 10pm BST. Welcome to our live coverage! Getty ImagesHello and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage of the third place play-off between France and England. Neither side will have wanted to find themselves in Miami for today’s game, having been within touching distance of the final earlier this week. But France’s 2-0 defeat against Spain and England’s 2-1 loss to Argentina means these two teams have one more fixture to determine who gets the tournament’s bronze medal.Stick with us as for all the build-up ahead of kick-off, as well as looking at where it all went wrong for France and England in their semi-final defeats.