The World Cup third-place game has a claim to being the most peculiar match in world soccer. It is the match nobody truly wants to play in. In other sports, a bronze medal is worth celebrating. In soccer, it’s a reminder of how a place in the World Cup final slipped through the fingers of the two teams involved.
Nonetheless, England and France will face off in Miami, possibly as punishment for what happened in their respective semi-finals, but also in a match that will determine which team finishes third at the 2026 World Cup. Because determining this is important, apparently.