France and England are squaring off on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in the 2026 World Cup third-place match. While it might not be the final either team dreamed of, the experts are calling for an absolute goal-fest with Kylian Mbappe leading the charge! SportsLine’s crew, including Jon Eimer and Martin Green, have dropped their parlay picks for this consolation game, and if they’re right, we’re in for some serious fireworks.
France Wants That W For Deschamps’ Farewell
First up, the experts are putting their money squarely on France to win this thing in regular time. Yeah, Les Bleus looked like absolute shells of themselves against Spain, a brutal end to Didier Deschamps’ time as coach, but come on, this squad is not going out quietly. They wanna send their manager off with a W, and let’s be real, France just has way more talent than England does, top to bottom. Remember, France were the favorites to win it all after the group stage before Spain took them out, so don’t expect them to roll over. Word is, England might even rotate some guys who haven’t seen much pitch time, which just stacks the deck even more for France to shine. This is their final statement in the competition, and they’ll want to make it count.
Prepare For Goals! Over 3.5 Is The Play
Forget being cautious, because the pros are yelling “Over 3.5 goals!” for this one. You could play it safe with Over 2.5 goals, but where’s the fun in that? France is absolutely not gonna be contained again, especially after Spain’s ball-control style basically suffocated them. England’s game doesn’t feature nearly as much possession, meaning France is gonna have wide-open spaces to operate, and you know what that means: CHAOS. While the last two third-place games did sneak under 3.5 goals, the four before that all flew over the line. France could easily bag three goals on their own, and England is definitely good for one or two in what should be a free-flowing, high-scoring slugfest.
Mbappe’s Golden Boot Hunt Is On
Here’s the kicker: Kylian Mbappe anytime goalscorer. This man still has everything to play for! Any goals in this match count towards the Golden Boot tally, and Mbappe is already on pace to be the all-time leading scorer in World Cups. This game is a massive step towards that legendary goal. He was unlucky as heck against Spain, with shots barely missing, and he is absolutely not gonna be slowed down for another match. You just know he’s gonna find the back of the net on Saturday.
This isn’t the final either team wanted, but with Deschamps’ send-off, Mbappe’s Golden Boot chase, and the promise of a wide-open game, Saturday’s match is still set to be an absolute must-watch. If these experts are right with their +292 parlay, we’re in for a high-octane farewell to the 2026 World Cup from France and England!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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