England‘s dream of making “soccer come home” wasn’t meant to be as they lost the 2026 World Cup semifinal. However, leaving the tournament empty-handed would be all the more devastating for the Three Lions. Hence, this third-place game vs France is key for them.
England are fourth in the FIFA ranking right now. Hence, by ranking measures alone, they are exactly in the game where they should be. Playing to see who is third and fourth in the world. England want to enter the all-time World Cup bronze-medal list.
The Three Lions added double-digit points in every single game until the semifinals loss against Argentina. However, based on ranking alone, they should be poised to lose this game.
England’s stalemate in FIFA ranking during 2026 World Cup
England entered the World Cup with 1850.97 points, good for fourth place. Hence, despite earning lots of points, they are still fourth. However, the Three Lions have widen the gap between them and the fifth place.
Jude Bellingham #10 of England.
Brazil ranks fifth right now. However, England have a 84.5-point advantage over Brazil. Hence, they are firmly established in fourth place. Their task is to close the gap with France’s FIFA ranking.
Overcoming France might be a challenge for England
France still have a strong lead over England in the FIFA ranking. However, that’s not the only challenge for the British. During the 21st century, France have dominated England in head-to-head matches.
Since 2000, France and England have played eight games. England won just once in an international friendly in 2015. Two draws and five wins for France have been the rest of results. That includes a win in EURO 2004 and the 2022 World Cup.
