France vs England prediction 18.07.2026 | FIFA World Cup 2026

France entered the semi-finals on a six-match winning streak before eventually falling 2-0 to an impressive Spanish side. During this World Cup they eliminated Sweden (3-0), Paraguay (1-0) and Morocco (2-0), conceding just one goal throughout their first five tournament matches before Spain finally breached their defensive structure. Despite the disappointment, France have remained one of the tournament's strongest defensive teams. 

There are expected to be several personnel changes for the bronze-medal match. With the tournament effectively over from a title perspective, Deschamps may rotate portions of his starting eleven and provide valuable minutes to fringe players. However, stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé are still expected to feature prominently as France seek to finish on a winning note. 

Recent reports suggest no major new injury concerns beyond expected squad management heading into the fixture.

England have enjoyed another deep World Cup run but were left heartbroken following their dramatic 2-1 semi-final defeat against Argentina after leading during the match. Prior to that setback, Thomas Tuchel's side had defeated DR Congo (2-1), Mexico (3-2) and Norway (2-1) in successive knockout rounds, demonstrating impressive attacking consistency by scoring at least twice in each victory.

England are expected to rotate several positions after an emotionally draining semi-final. Reece James is among the players reportedly unavailable through injury, while Tuchel could also hand opportunities to squad members who have featured sparingly throughout the tournament. Even so, the Three Lions possess sufficient quality throughout the squad to remain highly competitive.