Proven Quality

Neither of them wanted the flight to Miami. France and England came to this World Cup believing they would be busy on Sunday, and instead they meet on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium to settle third place from fourth. There is a bronze medal on the table, which does not quite disguise that this is the one fixture nobody circles in advance. The intrigue on Saturday is a selection one before it is a sporting one.

England had the lead, and then they gave it away by refusing to keep it. Anthony Gordon put them ahead in the 55th minute of a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, and for half an hour it looked like Thomas Tuchel had called it right one more time. Then Enzo Fernández levelled in the 85th, Lautaro Martínez headed in a Lionel Messi cross two minutes into stoppage time, and England were out. Argentina march on to Sunday’s final against Spain.

France created about a quarter of a goal. That is the number to sit with. The most feared attack left in this World Cup, a front four of Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise and Barcola with the Golden Boot leader among them, mustered roughly 0.26 expected goals across 90 minutes in Dallas and lost 2–0. Spain are in Sunday’s final. Whoever survives Atlanta tonight walks straight into the one team nobody at this tournament has worked out.

Arlington, 8pm tonight, and the two best teams at this World Cup finally run into each other. France have scored 16 goals and conceded two. Spain have conceded one. Whoever comes out of Dallas walks into Sunday’s final at MetLife as the side nobody in the tournament wants to play. English readers will watch this as a scouting exercise, and they have not earned the right to. Six matches, six wins, top of Group I, and both of the goals they have shipped came before the knockouts. Sweden were beaten 3–0.

Thomas Tuchel needs a right-back for Wednesday night, and the cupboard he is looking in contains a suspension, a wrist injury, and a Chelsea captain who has played 49 minutes of football since the middle of June. England face Argentina in Atlanta in a World Cup semi-final, 8pm BST, live on BBC One.

Stoppage time at the Azteca, England a goal in front and down to ten men, and the ball dropping to César Montes six yards out. The finish looked certain. Then Jude Bellingham got a leg across it and cleared, and a night that could have come apart held together instead. His brace had built the lead earlier, though it felt a long time ago by then. The intervention that saved it came at the other end of the pitch, and that is the truer measure of what he has become for England.

France missed a penalty inside the first half and it changed nothing. Mbappé waited out a VAR delay of more than three minutes, then watched Bounou push his kick away. For a spell Morocco had something to hold on to. Then France scored twice in six minutes and the tie was over. Deschamps’ side reached a third straight World Cup semi-final on Thursday night in Foxborough without ever needing a second gear, and they did it as the team sitting in the other half of England’s draw.

A World Cup 2026 live stream costs UK fans nothing this week. BBC and ITV have the four quarter-finals between them, free to air, no subscription attached. England made it through. Saturday at 10pm our time they meet Norway, one win from the semi-finals. Reach for the telly or open BBC iPlayer and ITVX to stream it live. Here is every match, with times and channels. The last eight is set. Four ties, spread across Thursday to Sunday.

FIFA opened a door last week when it suspended Folarin Balogun’s ban, and England are now trying to walk through it. The decision to let the USA striker play against Belgium after a straight red card was supposed to stay a curiosity. Jarell Quansah has made it a precedent, and FIFA has to decide what that precedent is now worth.

England march into a World Cup quarter-final against Norway with their right-back department in ruins, and Reece James is the one bit of hope holding it together. The Chelsea captain has not played since straining his hamstring against Ghana a fortnight ago, but he is back in contention for Saturday, and Thomas Tuchel needs him more than at any point this tournament. Kick-off in Miami is 10pm BST, live on ITV1.