England and France play for the bronze medal today at 5 p.m. ET in Miami. Spain and Argentina get the gold. These two teams got here the hard way—through the pain of semifinals.

Argentina beat England 2-1 on Wednesday. Spain shut out France 2-0 on Tuesday. Neither team expected to be fighting for third.

The Setup

England has Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. Both are two goals behind Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race. A goal today keeps them in contention. One or both could still win the tournament’s scoring title.

France has Mbappé, tied with Messi for the most goals. Didier Deschamps is leaving the France job after this tournament. This match matters for his legacy and Mbappé’s.

The Prize

The winner gets a bronze medal and $29 million. That’s not nothing. International pride matters more, though. Every player wants a medal. It’s the last thing you can win.

Miami Stadium hosts the match. The venue is packed. This is the game nobody wanted to play, but both teams are showing up ready.

The Context

England has been here twice before in the modern era. France has won World Cups. For France, bronze is a disappointment. For England, it’s a solid result after a deep run.

Deschamps will take it. Bellingham probably won’t be satisfied. Kane might finally get his moment. All of it depends on 90 minutes.

A third-place match is what happens when you lose the only game that matters.