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WORLD CUP 2026 · Saturday, 18 July 2026 at 22:00 BST
France
4 – 6
England

Match preview

England carry the rating edge but it's not large. Either side could nick it.

34%
France
22%
Draw
44%
England
Model fair odds
France
2.94
Draw
4.55
England
2.27

Decimal fair odds from the model probabilities before bookmaker margin.

France
34%
Draw
22%
England
44%
Elo rating: 2088 vs 2135 (-47)
Recent form: LLWWW vs WLWWW
Host advantage: Neutral venue
Model verdict: 34% / 22% / 44%
Most likely scores
Draw 1–1 (12%)
England 1–0 (11%)
England 2–1 (9%)
England 2–0 (8%)
Why England are favourites (44%)
  • England carry the higher Elo rating (47 points)
  • Neutral venue — no home advantage applied
  • France won 3 of their last five (3W 2L)
  • England won 4 of their last five (4W 1L)
  • Head-to-head treated as neutral — too few recent meetings to weigh (10% of the blend)

These factors combine to produce the 34% / 22% / 44% verdict above.

Expected match pattern

England should shade possession but the gap is small enough that midfield control will decide territory. With little between the sides on ratings, a set piece or an individual moment is the most likely difference — expect a competitive game where the first goal heavily shapes what follows.

Expected goals: France 1.1 · England 1.5

Quick stats

MetricFranceEngland
Elo rating20882135
Last 5 record3W 2L4W 1L
Goals last 51014
Goals conceded last 5810
Clean sheets last 530

France — last 5

  • Lv England46
  • Lv Spain02
  • Wv Morocco20
  • W@ Paraguay10
  • Wv Sweden30

England — last 5

  • W@ France64
  • Lv Argentina12
  • W@ Norway21
  • W@ Mexico32
  • Wv Congo DR21

Head to head

18 Jul 2026
France
46
England
10 Dec 2022
England
12
France
13 Jun 2017
France
32
England
11 Jun 2012
France
11
England

Confirmed lineups

England · 4-1-4-1
  1. 13D. Henderson G
  2. 26J. Quansah D
  3. 2E. Konsa D
  4. 6M. Guehi D
  5. 25D. Spence D
  6. 4D. Rice M
  7. 7B. Saka M
  8. 17M. Rogers M
  9. 21E. Eze M
  10. 11M. Rashford M
  11. 22I. Toney F
France ·
  1. 16M. Maignan G
  2. 2M. Gusto D
  3. 15I. Konate D
  4. 26M. Lacroix D
  5. 19T. Hernandez D
  6. 18W. Zaire-Emery M
  7. 14A. Rabiot M
  8. 11M. Olise M
  9. 24R. Cherki M
  10. 20D. Doue M
  11. 10K. Mbappe F

Key matchups

K. Mbappe vs E. Konsa

France's focal point in attack against the heart of England's defence.

M. Olise vs M. Rogers

The central-midfield battle most likely to decide who controls possession and territory.

I. Toney vs I. Konate

England's main outlet — how France's central defence handles him shapes the counter-attack threat.

Predictions are model output, not betting advice. The model blends an Elo rating, last-5 form and host advantage; ratings update after every tournament result, and fair odds and likely scorelines are derived from the same blend. Bet responsibly — 18+. See PuntHub for verified tipster services.