France vs England preview: Betting tips, odds and free bets (World Cup third place play-off)

Credit: THE SUN FRANCE and England must pick themselves up just days after seeing their World Cup dreams shattered as they meet in tonight’s third-place play-off in Miami. SunSport’s betting experts have previewed the clash and picked out the best betting tips, odds and exclusive sign-up bonuses from our leading bookmaker partners. New customers can also claim some of the best football betting sign-up offers and free bets currently available from our bookmaker partners below. WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS New sign-up offers from our partners👇 Paddy PowerBet £10 Get £5 in free betsBOYLE SportsBet £10 Get £40 in free betsToteBet £5 Get £20 in free betstalkSPORT BETGet 3 x 200% Football Boost Tokens + 2 x £10 Free betsBetfredBer £10 Get £50 in free betsMidniteBet £10 Get £30 in free betsSky BetBet £10 Get £5 in free betsBetfairBet £10 Get £5 in free betsBetMGMBet £10 Get £40 in free betsSpreadexBet £10 Get up to £100 in free betsWilliam HillBet £10 Get £30 in free betsbet365Bet £10 Get £30 in free betsSBKBet £20 Get £50 in free betsCoralBet £10 Get £40 in free bets France vs England preview Miami hosts beaten semi-finalists France and England in tonight’s World Cup third-place play-off. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! There’s no dressing it up. It’s a match few will want to watch, nobody will want to play and many are still baffled it exists after both nations suffered heartbreak earlier this week. France were blown away by a Spanish masterclass on Tuesday despite arriving as overwhelming favourites. Les Bleus had cruised through the tournament and most expected them to reach a third successive World Cup final, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise all firing on all cylinders. But they were made to look ordinary by Spain, managing just three shots on target and an xG of only 0.3 as Didier Deschamps’ 14-year reign came to a disappointing end. He will hope to sign off with one final victory over England, while the third-place play-off offers Mbappe one final opportunity to claim the Golden Boot and perhaps become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles here As for England, the inquest is already underway following their disappointing semi-final defeat to arch-rivals Argentina in Atlanta. The Three Lions entered the final 10 minutes with a one-goal lead but crumbled at the death, with Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scoring seven minutes apart. Many have already pointed the finger at Thomas Tuchel, whose defensive tactics backfired after England sat back almost immediately following Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener. From the 67th minute until the 92nd, the Three Lions attempted just 12 passes and completed only five, while recording a miserable 7.5 per cent possession. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham also combined for zero touches inside Argentina’s penalty area throughout the entire game. Nevertheless, they must pick themselves up one final time before heading off on their summer holidays for the 103rd game of the tournament, with around £22million in prize money at stake. France vs England odds France 10/11 with Betfair Draw 14/5 with Paddy Power England 13/5 with Sky Bet Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change. ⚽ How to claim... Betfred welcome offer Visit the Betfred website HERE* Register an account using the link provided Deposit £10 using a Debit Card Place your first bet of £10 or more on any qualifying Sportsbook markets, at odds of Evens or greater Once that bet has settled, Betfred will credit your account with £50 in Free Bets France vs England tips and betting predictions Tip 1: France win England have featured in two previous World Cup third-place play-offs and lost them both – first to Italy in 1990 before a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in 2018. A third defeat could well be on the cards tonight, with France expected to give departing boss Didier Deschamps the perfect send-off. Up until their semi-final defeat, Les Bleus had been the standout side at these finals, winning six games on the bounce, scoring 16 goals and conceding just twice. They simply ran into a Spain side at the peak of their powers earlier this week and normal service should resume here. Deschamps will be desperate to bow out on a high, while Kylian Mbappe also has the added incentive of claiming the Golden Boot, sitting level with Lionel Messi on eight goals. Bet: France to win at 10/11 with Betfair First goalscorer and correct score prediction France vs England First goalscorer: Kylian Mbappe at 11/4 with Sky Bet Correct score: 3-1 at 11/1 with BOYLE Sports Tip 2: Over 3.5 goals I’m also backing over 3.5 goals at 23/20 with Paddy Power. France have a habit of being involved in high-scoring games when the pressure is off. Their last three knockout matches have all produced two goals or fewer, but the previous four delivered a combined 15 goals at an average of 3.75 per game. Before the World Cup began, five of their previous 10 matches had also produced over 3.5 goals, with Les Bleus scoring at least twice in all but one of those fixtures. As for England, I sense an overcorrection following their woefully defensive display against Argentina. Thomas Tuchel should release the handbrake and that ought to see the Three Lions contribute, although they are now without a clean sheet in four straight matches. History also suggests this fixture is rarely short on entertainment. The last 20 World Cup third-place play-offs have averaged 3.7 goals per game, with half producing over 3.5 goals. Bet: Over 3.5 goals at 23/20 with Paddy Power Terms and conditions *Betfred. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Acca Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. *SBK. New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £20 at min odds of 3.0 and get £50 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply, 18+. BeGambleAware.org. *William Hill. 18+. Play Safe. Online only. Ends 31.12.26. 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