Both France and England believed they would move on to the 2026 World Cup final, but had their dreams shattered by Spain and Argentina, respectively.
Now, as both nations are set to face off in a third-place match in Miami, how did they get here?
Following France’s semifinal defeat to Spain, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise faced criticism for their ineffectiveness, and the team managed just 0.3 xG—its worst in 60 years. Mbappé, in particular, has extra motivation: he trails Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race on assists despite matching his goal tally, and with Messi facing Spain’s tough defense in the final, Mbappé may fancy his chances against a possibly deflated England side.
For England, the stakes center on manager Thomas Tuchel, who drew heavy criticism for overly defensive substitutions that let Argentina complete a late comeback. Having reached major semifinals and finals repeatedly without breaking through, England could still salvage the tournament with a first-ever third-place finish. With Tuchel reportedly set to stay through Euro 2028, motivating a heartbroken squad with fresh legs could define how this World Cup ends for both sides.
That said, here’s the full list of both France’s and England’s players, clubs, ages, and starting lineups.
France Players, Club, Age, Starting Lineup World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers:
GettyFrance’s goalkeeper #16 Mike Maignan reacts during the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
Mike Maignan, 31 (age), AC Milan (club) – #16 (kit number)
Robin Risser, 21, Lens – #23
Brice Samba, 32, Rennes – #1
Defenders:
GettyARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 14: Jules Kounde #5 of France reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Lucas Digne, 32, Aston Villa – #3
Malo Gusto, 23, Chelsea – #2
Lucas Hernandez, 30, PSG – #21
Theo Hernandez, 28, AC Milan – #19
Ibrahima Konaté, 27, Liverpool – #15
Jules Koundé, 27, Barcelona – #5
Maxence Lacroix, 26, Crystal Palace – #26
William Saliba, 25, Arsenal – #17
Dayot Upamecano, 27, Bayern Munich – #4
Midfielders:
GettyFrance’s midfielder #08 Aurelien Tchouameni kicks the ball as he’s defended by Spain’s forward #17 Nico Williams during the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Maghnes Akliouche, 24, Monaco – #25
Rayan Cherki, 22, Manchester City – #24
N’Golo Kanté, 35, Fenerbahçe – #13
Manu Koné, 25, Roma – #6
Adrien Rabiot, 31, AC Milan – #14
Aurelien Tchouaméni, 26, Real Madrid – #8
Warren Zaïre-Emery, 20, PSG – #18
Forwards:
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 04: Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates the team’s 1-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Paraguay and France at Philadelphia Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Bradley Barcola, 23, PSG – #12
Ousmane Dembélé, 29, PSG – #7
Désire Doué, 21, PSG – #20
Jean-Philippe Mateta, 29, Crystal Palace – #22
Kylian Mbappé, 27, Real Madrid – #10
Michael Olise, 24, Bayern Munich – #11
Marcus Thuram, 28, Inter Milan – #9
Average Age: 26.7 Average Height: 6’0″
Starting Lineup:
GK: M. Maignan
Defense: RB: M. Gusto CBs: I. Konate, M. Lacroix LB: T. Hernandez
Midfield: CDMs: W. Zaire-Emery, A. Rabiot CAMs: M. Olise, R. Cherki, D. Doue
Forward: K. Mbappe
England Players, Club, Age, Starting Lineup World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers:
GettyEngland’s goalkeeper #01 Jordan Pickford reacts during the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between England and Argentina at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford, 32 (age), Everton (club) – #1 (kit number)
Dean Henderson, 29, Crystal Palace – #13
James Trafford, 23, Manchester City – #23
Defenders:
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 15: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina and Djed Spence #25 of England compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Dan Burn, 34, Newcastle – #15
Trevoh Chalobah, 27, Chelsea – #12
Marc Guehi, 26, Manchester City – #6
Reece James, 26, Chelsea – #24
Ezri Konsa, 28, Aston Villa – #2
Nico O’Reilly, 21, Manchester City – #3
Jarell Quansah, 23, Bayer Leverkusen – #26
Djed Spence, 25, Tottenham Hotspur – #25
John Stones, 32, free agent (formerly Manchester City) – #5
Midfielders:
GettyTOPSHOT – England’s midfielder #10 Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2026 World Cup football tournament quarter-final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium in Miami on July 11, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Elliot Anderson, 23, Nottingham Forest (transferring to Manchester City) – #8
Jude Bellingham, 23, Real Madrid – #10
Eberechi Eze, 28, Arsenal – #21
Jordan Henderson, 36, Brentford – #14
Kobbie Mainoo, 21, Manchester United – #16
Declan Rice, 27, Arsenal – #4
Forwards:
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 15: Harry Kane #9 of England looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Morgan Rogers, 23, Aston Villa – #17
Anthony Gordon, 25, Newcastle United (transferring to Barcelona) – #18
Harry Kane, 32, Bayern Munich – #9
Marcus Rashford, 28, Barcelona – #11
Noni Madueke, 24, Arsenal – #20
Bukayo Saka, 24, Arsenal – #7
Ivan Toney, 30, Al-Ahli – #22
Ollie Watkins, 30, Aston Villa – #19
Average Age: 26.9 Average Height: 6’0″
Starting Lineup:
GK: D. Henderson
Defense: RB: J. Quansah CBs: M. Guehi, E. Konsa LB: D. Spence
Midfield: CDM: D. Rice CAM: E. Eze, M. Rogers
Forward: LW: M. Rashford ST: I. Toney RW: B. Saka
France-England World Cup Squads: Players, Clubs, Age