England's World Cup journey is not yet over despite their failure to reach the final. The Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Argentina in Wednesday night's semi-final, suffering late heartbreak as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored inside the last ten minutes.
Match Details
Anthony Gordon's goal ten minutes into the second half had England supporters dreaming of a first World Cup final in 60 years, though Thomas Tuchel's defensive substitutions ultimately backfired. As a result, Argentina will contest the World Cup 2026 final against Spain, who beat pre-tournament favourites France in Dallas on Tuesday night.
Third-Place Play-Off
For England, however, it is not the end of the road in North America just yet. Tuchel's side still have one match remaining before heading back to the UK. As is the tradition at World Cups, the two losing semi-finalists meet in the third-place play-off a day before the biggest match in football takes place. This year is no different, as the bronze medal match will take place at the Miami Stadium on Saturday night between England and France.
Historical Context
France have three times contested the third-place play-off previously, winning twice. The most recent victory was 40 years ago at Mexico 1986, when they beat Belgium on penalties before Argentina were crowned world champions for a second time. England, meanwhile, were last involved in a World Cup third-place play-off eight years ago in Russia, losing 2-0 to Belgium in Saint Petersburg. They were also beaten by the host nation in Italy 1990, meaning they have never won this particular fixture, perhaps providing extra motivation to get over the semi-final loss and end the tournament on a positive note.
