{"id":808959,"date":"2026-07-18T21:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T21:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/808959\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T21:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T21:36:09","slug":"france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/808959\/","title":{"rendered":"France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live | World Cup 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">35 min: Fine save from Henderson, with Olise playing in Mbappe, who drills his shot, and the Palace keeper stakes his claim with more good work.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bf1768f085b8e22af4987#block-6a5bf1768f085b8e22af4987\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">33 min: Have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> slackened off? Or are they looking for the counter? Scratch that, Rashford takes Warren Zaire-Emery to school with a drag-back and smashes the ball with severe venom. That requires a save from Maignan. Rashford could actually have passed to Saka, as Thomas Tuchel also seems to think.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bf10c8f0826309aef62ec#block-6a5bf10c8f0826309aef62ec\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">31 min: Rice is sat deep, taking the ball off the defenders, his role a little different with Elliott Anderson on the bench. Quansah takes a knock from Doue, it looked like a poke in the eye. Accidental, though.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bf09f8f084c49542bceab#block-6a5bf09f8f084c49542bceab\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">30 min: Olise appears to have woken up, perhaps with an Mbappe flea in his ear. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a> have improved since their swigs of energy drink. It takes a combination of Rice and Spence to clear the latest danger.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bf0348f084c49542bcea7#block-6a5bf0348f084c49542bcea7\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">28 min: Rogers loses the ball in midfield, and Olise sets off, playing in Mbappe, Guehi stoops to clear, and Henderson has the angle narrowed. An offside flag was waved \u2013 wrongly, it turns out.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5befcf8f084c49542bcea6#block-6a5befcf8f084c49542bcea6\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a017.29 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">27 min: Euan Scott gets in touch: \u201cI find within myself a slight knot in my stomach not of worry but slight annoyance, cause we\u2019re playing really well with this young dynamic squad, back-and-forth. It just makes me ask what if we had made such substitutions in the semi-finals? Can\u2019t change the past though, and hopefully something in this fixture can make me less pessimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bef918f085b8e22af497f#block-6a5bef918f085b8e22af497f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">25 min: Mbappe, who has scored in two finals, and a hat-trick in the last, has looked desperate for a goal in a third-place play-off. He\u2019s prowling with intent as they resume.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bef2b8f084c49542bcea0#block-6a5bef2b8f084c49542bcea0\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">24 min: Ron Stack gets in touch, a Spurs fan at a guess: \u201cPorro, Romero and Spence have all had an excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/world-cup-football\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">World Cup<\/a>, haven\u2019t they? I guess it\u2019s all downhill from here. Congrats to you and your Guardian colleagues for outstanding reporting and incisive (and brutal) commentary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bef068f0826309aef62e1#block-6a5bef068f0826309aef62e1\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">23 min: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a> ready for the hydration break. Mbappe has a face like thunder but is full of intention and smashes a shot wide. Here comes the drinks, and in my case here, a deluge of David Beckham content.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bee728f084c49542bce9b#block-6a5bee728f084c49542bce9b\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">21 min: David Wall gets in touch: \u201cAh, so Konsa for Gordon against Argentina was an attacking change all along! I guess we all owe Thomas an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bee348f0826309aef62db#block-6a5bee348f0826309aef62db\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">20 min: The question will be asked: where were this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a>? But perhaps we should enjoy this for what it is, success on the international stage that was beyond reach for so long.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beded8f085b8e22af4970#block-6a5beded8f085b8e22af4970\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a>Goal! France 0-2 England (Konsa, 19)<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Declan Rice\u2019s ball is a pearler, and Konsa jumps high and unmarked, to nod home. England are heading for their best <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/world-cup-football\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">World Cup<\/a> since 1966.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beda58f084c49542bce98#block-6a5beda58f084c49542bce98\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">18 min: Saka has another chance, set up by Eze, cutting in on his favoured left. Lacroix\u2019s boot deflects the ball behind. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> look so dangerous on the counter.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bed728f084c49542bce96#block-6a5bed728f084c49542bce96\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">17 min: Big noise from the fans in Miami.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bed1e8f085b8e22af496e#block-6a5bed1e8f085b8e22af496e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">15 min: Guehi comes across to stop a cross from the byline from Mbappe, who is NOT playing this game like it\u2019s a glorified friendly. France make little of the resultant corner. Darren Fletcher now says this has \u201cbeen the best <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/world-cup-football\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">World Cup<\/a> we have ever seen\u201d. Is Donald Trump doubling as script editor on Fox?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5becb98f084c49542bce91#block-6a5becb98f084c49542bce91\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">14 min: Michael S Weller gets in touch: \u201c Love your reference to Mark E. Smith, as the Fall are my favourite band, but I wonder if the legendary Prestwich resident might be more appropriate for Spain this summer? \u201cWe\u2019ve got the repetition, in the\u201d football, \u201cand we\u2019re never gonna lose it&#8230;repetition, in the defense&#8230;repetition, in the pressing&#8230;Marc Cucurella LOVES repetition, Unai Simon loves repetition&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bec978f0826309aef62d1#block-6a5bec978f0826309aef62d1\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">13 min: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a> look the team who are recovering from a painful defeat. And that\u2019s because they are. They were the best team in the tournament until that Dallas semi.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bec4d8f085b8e22af4966#block-6a5bec4d8f085b8e22af4966\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a>Saka goal disallowed&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Just offside, bursting away as Quansah plays him in but a nice finish. France\u2019s defence looks vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p>Bukayo Saka\u2019s fine finish puts the ball in the net but it\u2019s chalked off due to the offside flag. Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/Reuters<a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bec088f0826309aef62cf#block-6a5bec088f0826309aef62cf\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a017.17 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">11 min: Doue, at pace, sets up Cherki, who takes on the shot. Henderson saves well. Mbappe is asking his teammates for more. He really wants that second golden boot\u2026<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bebce8f0826309aef62cd#block-6a5bebce8f0826309aef62cd\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">10 min: News that Dan Burn is warming up to come on and lead the defensive effort has been exaggerrated.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bebab8f0826309aef62cc#block-6a5bebab8f0826309aef62cc\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">9 min: Rice has chance to whip in free-kick just down to the left, by the touchline. Konate, who has started well, gets it clear.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beb718f085b8e22af4963#block-6a5beb718f085b8e22af4963\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">8 min: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a> are penned back, Saka and Toney both getting glimpses, but then Cherki sets off a counter and Mbappe cannot quite control the ball. The lack of jeopardy has allowed this game an element of cavalier spirit.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beb148f085b8e22af495f#block-6a5beb148f085b8e22af495f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">7 min: Rampant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a>. Rice has looked great. Saka also keen to get involved and the ball ends with Rashford, whose shot is fierce but deflected behind.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beaef8f084c49542bce80#block-6a5beaef8f084c49542bce80\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">6 min: Konate steps across to deny a pass aimed for Toney.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5beabc8f084c49542bce7f#block-6a5beabc8f084c49542bce7f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">5 min: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a>, who suffered their own disappointment, try to relaunch. Rabiot shows off his skill but cannot find Doue or Mbappe.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bea768f085b8e22af4959#block-6a5bea768f085b8e22af4959\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">4 min: Big smiles from Harry Kane, applause from Thomas Tuchel, Rice\u2019s celebration is muted. Let\u2019s hope <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> don\u2019t try and sit on this lead\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5bea2d8f0826309aef62c3#block-6a5bea2d8f0826309aef62c3\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a>Goal! France 0-1 England (Rice, 3)<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Well, what a start. Rice picks up a loose Doue ball and drills past Maignan.<\/p>\n<p>Declan Rice shoots \u2026 Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/ReutersAnd scores to give England the lead. Photograph: Chandan Khanna\/AFP\/Getty ImagesRice celebrates. Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/Reuters<a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be9fc8f0826309aef62c2#block-6a5be9fc8f0826309aef62c2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a017.13 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">2 min: A Rashford ball is aimed for Toney and headed away by Lacroix\u2026<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be9d68f085b8e22af4955#block-6a5be9d68f085b8e22af4955\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a>We are go in Miami&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">1 min: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a>, in break from tourney tradition, do not hoof the ball out of play. Did they not get the memo? It\u2019s at a slow pace, it\u2019s hot and muggy out there. Djed Spence and Marcus Rashford link early down the left. Jarrell Quansah is playing on the right.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be96a8f085b8e22af4952#block-6a5be96a8f085b8e22af4952\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Charles Antaki, a man of culture, gets in touch: \u201cI\u2019m half-watching the BBC coverage online, doing something else on a different tab \u2013 they\u2019re just showing images of a players warming up with some background music, presumably being played over the stadium PA. Nothing unusual so far\u2026 Except\u2026 Surely not? Yes! They\u2019re playing a Charles Aznavour number. Charles Aznavour! Classic French crooner, total French icon, almost certainly a L\u00e9gion D\u2019Honneur. If they \u2018re going to match that with a Brit, one wonder who it will be- Sir Cliff?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Surely Sir Cliff. Perhaps Mark E Smith.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be8bd8f085b8e22af494d#block-6a5be8bd8f085b8e22af494d\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Here comes the English national anthem. Declan Rice is captain, which is one clue as to why he might have wanted to play.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Pravin Gopal gets in touch: \u201cI find it laughable that Arsenal fans like Tom Johnson et al are complaining about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> playing Saka and Rice. It was Arteta who ran them into the ground and played them while injured in his mythical quest to win the Premier League and Championship. If anybody is to blame for the injuries to them, which have been carried over while playing for Arsenal, it should be Arteta!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fireworks explode after the national anthems. Photograph: Jamie Squire\/Getty Images<a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be84b8f085b8e22af4947#block-6a5be84b8f085b8e22af4947\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a017.05 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In other news, Darren Fletcher in the commentary box, having dropped in the Battle of Agincourt, is telling viewers he\u2019d like to take his shirt off because of the heat. Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel and Didier Deschamps share a manly hug as the national anthems begin, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/france\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">France<\/a> going first.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be7c78f085b8e22af4944#block-6a5be7c78f085b8e22af4944\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a016.55 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Mike Nagle gets in touch: \u201cGreat coverage. Thank you very much. France put out a fairly strong team, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> a much weaker one. What is going on here? It may be a match that no one wanted to play but it still is one in which we surely want to compete &amp; try to win. What is your take on this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">I guess England do indifference and the \u201cI never fancied her anyway\u201d better than anyone.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be78a8f085b8e22af4942#block-6a5be78a8f085b8e22af4942\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">From those in Miami: &#8220;audible boos as Tuchel\u2019s name was read out before the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Perhaps Sir Keir Starmer could have styled it out with Tuchel now taking the brunt.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be5ed8f084c49542bce6c#block-6a5be5ed8f084c49542bce6c\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Tom Johnson gets in touch: \u201cIt is an absolute disgrace that Saka and Rice are playing. They are both clearly carrying injuries that have stopped them performing at their usual high standards. I hope Arteta is watching and withdraws them from every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/england\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">England<\/a> game next season. I am bloody furious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Perhaps they asked to play, Tom.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=France v England: World Cup third-place playoff \u2013 live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jul\/18\/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6a5be59a8f0826309aef62ad#block-6a5be59a8f0826309aef62ad\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-10ju04u\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key events 35 min: Fine save from Henderson, with Olise playing in Mbappe, who drills his shot, and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":808960,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-808959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=808959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/808960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=808959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=808959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=808959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}