Tens of thousands of seats are still empty, tickets are being sold for half their original price, and a former Manchester United star has told an England midfielder to boycott the game. This is the World Cup bronze medal match — officially called the third-place play-off — a fixture that has been part of every World Cup since 1934 but is regularly dismissed as a "pointless jumped-up friendly."
The 2026 edition takes place in Miami on Saturday 18 July, with England facing France just two days before the final. The game kicks off at 22:00 BST and will be played at the Miami Stadium. As of Friday morning, around 7,000 tickets were still unsold on Fifa's official platforms. The cheapest resale tickets are listed at $455 (£346) plus a 15% fee, while some category one tickets originally priced at $1,125 (£855) have dropped to $659 (£500). The match has not sold out, in stark contrast to the final, where the cheapest remaining tickets cost nearly $30,000.
“Explains the World Cup bronze medal match, why it exists, and the controversy around tonight's England vs France game.”
England reached the semi-finals but lost 2–1 to Argentina in heartbreaking fashion, with manager Thomas Tuchel facing heavy criticism for his negative tactics. France were beaten by Spain in the other semi. Now both teams must play again for third place — a match that many players and pundits dislike. The England squad includes midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has not played a single minute in the tournament. Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has publicly urged Mainoo to refuse to play, calling the match a "nonsense game" and warning that he could get injured. Butt said: "I’d just refuse to play if I was Kobbie Mainoo. I’d say I was injured." He also argued that Tuchel should be sacked after England's semi-final exit.
The referee for the match is a Venezuelan official who has previously taken charge of England and France matches at a World Cup. The full details of his identity were not disclosed in the available source material, but his nationality confirms he is from South America.
Why does this match matter for UK readers? For fans, it is an opportunity to see younger players like Mainoo or Trevoh Chalobah make their World Cup debuts, as Tuchel is expected to make numerous changes. For the players, especially those who have barely featured, it is a rare chance to impress on a global stage. However, the fixture is widely seen as an unnecessary risk, with clubs often unhappy about their stars playing in a game that carries little prestige. The financial side is striking: nearly 7,000 unsold tickets suggest that even supporters see limited appeal.
The match also marks the end of England's World Cup campaign. Whether Tuchel stays or goes remains uncertain. Nicky Butt believes the German manager should leave, calling him "an unbelievable club manager" but saying his position is untenable after the semi-final defeat.
Q: Why is there a third-place match at the World Cup? The third-place play-off has been held since the first World Cup in 1930, except for 1950 when no final was played. It was introduced to determine the bronze medal winner and has become a tradition, though it is often criticised for being anticlimactic.
Q: How can UK fans watch the England vs France bronze medal match? The match kicks off at 22:00 BST on Saturday 18 July and will be broadcast on the BBC and ITV, as per the BBC's coverage of the World Cup.
Q: Will Thomas Tuchel stay as England manager after the tournament? It is unclear. Nicky Butt has called for him to be sacked, but no official decision has been announced. Tuchel's contract runs until 2028, but the FA could part ways after the World Cup.
What happens next? The match will be played on Saturday evening. After that, England will return home and the FA will decide on Tuchel's future. The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina takes place on Sunday. For England fans, attention will quickly turn to Euro 2028, which the UK is co-hosting.
