Who, when, and where is France playing in the 2026 World Cup third-place game?

France will have one final match to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after falling 2-0 to Spain in the semifinals at Dallas Stadium. Didier Deschamps‘ side saw its hopes of reaching another World Cup final come to an end despite entering the match as one of the tournament’s most consistent teams.

With considerable prize money already secured, France will now face the loser of the other semifinal between Argentina and England in the official FIFA World Cup third-place match. The game is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 5:00 p.m. ET at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one day before the World Cup final, with third place in the tournament on the line.

Spain booked their place in the championship match thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty before Porro doubled the advantage after the break.

Although France was eliminated, Kylian Mbappe remains the tournament’s leading scorer with eight goals despite being held scoreless in the semifinal, and he is still in contention for the Golden Boot even with Lionel Messi in the race.

Kylian Mbappe #10 of France controls the ball. David Ramos/Getty Images

France’s final opportunity at the 2026 World Cup

The third-place playoff is the 103rd of the tournament’s 104 matches and remains an official FIFA fixture that determines the final third- and fourth-place finishers.

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