England will face France in the third-place playoff of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday, July 18, 2026, shortly after a late 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina in Atlanta. Anthony Gordon had initially put England on track to reach their first World Cup final since 1966, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez reversed the outcome.

England's head coach Thomas Tuchel, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, said that the players carry the “scars” of their painful exit and admitted there remains a gap to close with the top footballing nations. Tuchel highlighted that Argentina, France, and Spain have built their success over many years with strong coaching and team development, creating a slight but significant gap that England must work to bridge.

Tuchel also faced criticism for his defensive substitutions during the semifinal match. England, currently ranked fourth by FIFA, will now meet France in Miami, whose team was defeated 2-0 by European champions Spain in their semifinal.

FIFA announced that World Cup winners will receive US-style championship rings this year. Additionally, the tournament saw five football players rise to social media stardom, and Spain’s super-sub Merino described tackling Lionel Messi as a “huge challenge.”

Sources