England vs. France Projected Starting Lineups: World Cup Third-Place Projected Starting XI

The 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff brings a bittersweet but still highly anticipated matchup as England takes on France, with the bronze medal and a final piece of tournament pride on the line.

England enters the third-place match having fallen agonizingly short of the final, but still boasting one of the deepest and most talented squads in the competition, full of Premier League quality and eager to finish the tournament on a high note. France, meanwhile, arrives just as disappointed to have missed out on the final, but remains one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking sides, built around the pace and finishing of Kylian Mbappe and a talented, technically gifted supporting cast.

Led by stars such as Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Kylian Mbappe, and N’Golo Kante, this matchup features two proud footballing nations determined not to let the tournament end on a low note. England will look to use Rashford and Madueke’s directness out wide and Kane’s finishing to trouble a France defense missing some key pieces, while France will lean on Mbappe’s individual brilliance, Dembele’s unpredictability, and Kante’s experience in midfield to control the tempo and create chances of their own.

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England Predicted Starting Lineup

England is expected to field a lineup that mixes proven Premier League quality with fresh attacking options as they look to close out the tournament with a positive result.

Jordan Pickford starts in goal behind a back four of Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Djed Spence. Konsa and Guehi provide composure and physical presence at the heart of the defense, while O’Reilly and Spence offer pace and attacking width from the full-back positions.

In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo and Eberechi Eze are set to anchor the center of the pitch, giving England a blend of press-resistant passing and creative spark from deep. Ahead of them, Marcus Rashford operates on the left, Morgan Rogers plays as the central attacking presence, and Noni Madueke lines up on the right, giving England pace, directness, and unpredictability across the front line.

Up top, Harry Kane leads the line as England’s central striker, looking to add to his tournament tally with his usual mix of clinical finishing and intelligent movement in and around the box.

• GK: Jordan Pickford
• DL: Nico O’Reilly
• DC: Ezri Konsa
• DC: Marc Guehi
• DR: Djed Spence
• DMC: Kobbie Mainoo
• DMC: Eberechi Eze
• AML: Marcus Rashford
• AMC: Morgan Rogers
• AMR: Noni Madueke
• FW: Harry Kane

France Predicted Starting Lineup

France will line up with a lineup built around defensive reshuffling, midfield control, and the ever-present attacking threat of some of the world’s most feared forwards.

Mike Maignan starts in goal behind a back four of Lucas Hernandez, Maxence Lacroix, Ibrahima Konate, and Malo Gusto. Lacroix and Konate step in at the center of defense to provide physicality and composure, while Hernandez and Gusto offer experience and attacking intent from the full-back positions.

In midfield, N’Golo Kante and Warren Zaire-Emery are expected to anchor the center of the pitch, giving France a strong balance of experience, energy, and defensive cover. Ahead of them, Bradley Barcola provides width and pace on the left, Rayan Cherki operates as the creative focal point through the middle, and Ousmane Dembele offers unpredictability and direct running on the right.

Kylian Mbappe leads the line as France’s central striker, remaining the team’s biggest individual threat with his blend of searing pace, clinical finishing, and the ability to conjure a goal out of nothing at any moment.

• GK: Mike Maignan
• DL: Lucas Hernandez
• DC: Maxence Lacroix
• DC: Ibrahima Konate
• DR: Malo Gusto
• DMC: N’Golo Kante
• DMC: Warren Zaire-Emery
• AML: Bradley Barcola
• AMC: Rayan Cherki
• AMR: Ousmane Dembele
• FW: Kylian Mbappe

Team News & Key Absences

England will be missing Jordan Henderson, who remains out, while Reece James is listed as questionable ahead of kickoff. James’ potential absence would be a blow to England’s defensive options at full back, though the squad’s overall depth should allow for a smooth adjustment if he’s unable to feature.

France arrives with more significant absences to navigate. William Saliba is ruled out, removing one of the team’s most important central defenders from the equation, while goalkeeper Brice Samba is also out. Losing Saliba in particular could be a real test for a reshuffled French back line playing for pride in the tournament’s final match outside the showpiece final.

Match Outlook & Resources

This third-place playoff shapes up as an intriguing clash between two sides with plenty of individual quality still left to display. England’s mix of pace, directness, and Kane’s continued reliability in front of goal gives them a strong platform to control large portions of the match, particularly if Mainoo and Eze can dictate the tempo through midfield.

France, despite their defensive absences, still carries more than enough attacking firepower to trouble any side in the world, with Mbappe’s pace and finishing ability a constant threat regardless of the opposition’s setup. If Kante and Zaire-Emery can shield a reshuffled back line and Dembele and Barcola create enough width, France has every chance of finishing the tournament with a win of their own.

With bronze medals and tournament pride on the line, and both squads eager to leave the competition on a positive note despite their near-misses, expect a spirited and open contest between two of the world’s most star-studded footballing nations.