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England vs France World Cup Third-Place Play-Off Preview

BBC Sport Football •
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So there you have it. England's World Cup dreams are dashed once more, the wait for a first men's major trophy since 1966 goes on - and they can't even fly home yet. The tournament isn't over for Thomas Tuchel's side with a third-place play-off against France on Saturday (22:00 BST).

There are four reasons to watch. First, the Golden Boot race: Kylian Mbappe is level with Lionel Messi on eight goals, though Messi leads on assists (four to three). Goals in the play-off count, so Mbappe could overtake him, following Salvatore Schillaci's 1990 feat. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two goals back but would need a hat-trick.

Second, victory would give England their best World Cup finish since 1966, beating previous third-place play-off losses in 1990 and 2018.

Third, lesser-spotted stars may feature: Kobbie Mainoo (14 caps, zero minutes), Ollie Watkins, and for France, N'Golo Kante (35, likely last World Cup) and Rayan Cherki (85 minutes). Finally, this is the last competitive football for weeks - the Premier League returns 21 August, England not until September.