England and France will face each other on Saturday in the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off, with pride, individual honours and history all at stake.
The match marks the first meeting between the two countries since France defeated England 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Both sides were eliminated in the semi-finals after disappointing defeats. France lost 2-0 to Spain, while England surrendered a second-half lead to defending champions Argentina in a 2-1 defeat.
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One of the major storylines heading into the match is the race for the Golden Boot.
France captain Kylian Mbappé is level with Lionel Messi on eight goals, while England captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have six goals each.
France will be without William Saliba because of injury, with Maxence Lacroix expected to replace him in central defence.
Theo Hernández could also return to the starting line-up, while Warren Zaïre-Emery and Rayan Cherki are pushing for starting roles.
England are expected to be without Reece James through injury, while Jordan Henderson remains unavailable.
Jude Bellingham is also awaiting the outcome of a possible FIFA disciplinary review, leaving his availability uncertain.
Saturday’s encounter will also bring the curtain down on Didier Deschamps’ 14-year spell as France coach after guiding Les Bleus to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final.
England are seeking their first-ever victory in a World Cup third-place play-off, having lost previous bronze-medal matches in 1990 and 2018.
