Historical context: France and England's previous third‑place battles

France is making its fourth appearance in a World Cup third‑place match. The nation secured bronze in 1958 by beating West Germany and repeated the feat in 1986 against Belgium, but fell short in 1982 to Poland. England, meanwhile, will contest its third bronze match after defeats to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018. Both nations carry a legacy of near‑misses and triumphs that adds extra weight to this encounter.