France vs England in Bronze Final Preview | Morning Cupdate, Presented by The Home Depot

Summary

Men In Blazers: France vs England Bronze Final Preview | Morning Cupdate

Date: July 18, 2026
Hosts: Roger Bennett & Rory Smith
Episode Theme: Third Place Playoff Preview—France vs England at the 2026 World Cup

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Episode Overview

This lively Morning Cupdate episode dives into the narrative around the 2026 World Cup’s third-place playoff between France and England. With typical humor and passion, Roger and Rory discuss why this oft-overlooked fixture still matters, how both teams arrived here, World Cup news from around New York and beyond, and playful advice for new football fans seeking a Premier League club. The tone is irreverent, insightful, and affectionate toward the whimsical dramas of world football.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Third Place Playoff: A "Pointless" Game with Meaning

• General Attitude:
  • Rory and Roger admit that the third-place match is widely considered a “nothing game” by players and fans alike, quoting managers who’ve openly called it pointless ([02:37]).
• Why Care?
  • “You should care about it, okay, because we’re telling you to.” ([05:57], Rory)
  • They highlight the opportunity to see lesser-used players, national pride, and the high stakes of the Golden Boot race.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Roger Bennett: "It's better to come third than fourth. You should try. You should definitely try. You shouldn't try too hard, but you should try a bit." ([10:30])

Route to the Bronze Final

• France’s Journey:
  • France’s group stage dominance and heartbreak after being stunned by Spain in the semifinals ([03:00]).
  • The end of an era as Deschamps steps down as manager after 14 years ([04:10]).
  • Notable: “Fans were buzzing their baguettes off and many...believed this was their year.” ([03:17], Rory)
• England’s Road:
  • England’s struggle through the group stage, including a dramatic win over Mexico with ten men ([04:36]).
  • Frustration with manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactics, but a chance for their best finish since 1966 ([05:34]).
  • “Sorry, I’m laughing because my producer George over there behind the camera is crying.” ([05:20], Rory)
• FA Stance:
  • The English FA back Tuchel for now, but questions swirl around his substitution tactics ([05:38]).

Drill Down: Why the Game Still Matters

• Golden Boot Showdown:
  • Four major contenders for top scorer: Mbappé (8 goals), Messi, Kane, Bellingham, and Dembélé (all on 6) ([06:42]).
  • Quote: “I think sometime in life I’m too competitive. That man, Kylian Mbappé is leading the charge...” ([06:36], Rory)
• Future Stars:
  • Rotated lineups could showcase emerging or underused talent: Kobbie Mainoo, Rayan Cherki, N’Golo Kanté ([07:08]).
• Historic Rivalry:
  • “France dumped England out of the last World Cup… the Three Lions would surely love… revenge.” ([07:32], Rory)

World Cup Final and Tournament Updates

• New York Air Quality:
  • Wildfire smoke drifts into New York but shouldn’t affect the final ([08:00]).
• Argentina-England Fallout:
  • Lo Celso’s controversial “Malvinas are Argentine” banner and FIFA’s previous fines for political statements ([08:12]).
• Winners’ Rings:
  • Champions will receive not just medals but “tacky” Super Bowl–style rings ([09:06]).
  • “Well, as Beyoncé always said, if you like it, then you should put a ring on it. And FIFA has taken that very literally.” ([09:08], Rory)

Predictions & Banter

• Score Predictions:
  • Rory: France 3, England 2 ([10:37])
  • Roger: England 4, France 3 ([10:43])
• On the Stakes:
  • Roger jokes about points: “But do I get a point even if England win? Not by that straw line.” ([10:49])
• On the Stress:
  • Rory: “There’s a sort of look in your eye that makes me think you’re starting to crack.” ([10:16], Roger)
  • Rory: “Just pure stress coming. Just coming from my eye.” ([10:20])

"Finish Touch": Premier League Team Matchmaker

• Fun “Which Club Should You Support?” Guide:
  • Argentina: Arsenal—masters of “dark arts,” live rent-free in others’ heads. ([13:17])
  • Spain: Liverpool—swagger, tradition, sometimes not so great.
  • France: Chelsea—recent glory, attacking talent, but prone to implosion.
  • Brazil: Manchester United—history, star power, living on faded hope.
    • Roger: “It’s Man United we’re talking about. It is Man United we’re talking about.” ([14:04])
  • Germany: Tottenham—history, big names, but recurring humiliation.
  • USMNT: Manchester City—rules as “guidelines,” wink to City’s legal tangles.
  • Cape Verde: Bournemouth—underdogs, smart recruitment, fan favorite.
  • Scotland: Leeds United—wild fans, not always pretty, but great fun.
  • Japan: Brighton—spirit, respect, swapping trophies for affection.
  • Switzerland: Fulham—nice but boring, and no real chance of ever winning.
  • Mexico: Everton—heartbreak, optimism, legendary suffering.
    • “If that is you, then join Rog, because Everton, they’re waiting.” ([15:07])

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Deschamps:
  • “This isn’t the farewell France would have liked for their legendary manager Deschamps, who steps down after 14 years at the helm.” ([04:10], Rory)
• On the Match’s Stakes:
  • Roger: “It’s better to come third than fourth. You should try… You shouldn’t try too hard, but you should try a bit.” ([10:30])
• On the Golden Boot:
  • Rory: “We could see teams take off the handbrake in an absolute goal fest.” ([05:59])
• On World Cup Withdrawal:
  • Rory: “Really, you’ve just got to sit there and savor every last second of World Cup action. You are going to miss it when it’s over. I know I will.” ([07:43])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Start of World Cup discussion: [01:15]
• France’s World Cup journey: [02:40]–[04:10]
• England’s path and Tuchel’s future: [04:10]–[05:38]
• Why you should care about Third Place Playoff: [05:57]–[07:46]
• Golden Boot race & anticipated line-ups: [06:36]–[07:19]
• Tournament news—smoke, banners, rings: [08:00]–[09:15]
• Predictions and light banter: [10:13]–[10:55]
• Premier League matchmaking guide: [12:43]–[15:07]

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Final Notes & Upcoming

• Event reminders:
  • "Nightcup" live on YouTube post-match ([09:21])
  • Matchday Live tour events continuing across U.S. host cities ([10:59])
• World Cup finale & live watch party:
  • Final: Argentina vs Spain, with celebrity guests and watch party ([14:55])

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Wrap-Up

This episode captures the Men In Blazers' trademark blend of soccer analysis, storytelling, and mischief. While the third-place match may be dismissed by cynics and players alike, Roger and Rory enthusiastically make the case for savoring every last moment of the World Cup—and perhaps, for picking your first club to follow in the sprawling Premier League soap opera. As the tournament closes, their infectious energy reminds listeners to cherish the drama, the nonsense, and the unifying power of the beautiful game.

Transcript

[Roger Bennett]

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[Rory Smith]

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[Roger Bennett]

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[Rory]

Hello, welcome to your penultimate Morning cup date. Tomorrow here in New York, either Argentina or Spain will be crowned world champions. But before that, today we've got the small matter of the third place playoff. Let's get into it. Here is everything that you guys need to know. Oh yes. Hello and welcome to Morning cup date built by the Home Depot. As always, join the Home Depot to welcome the world to our backyards and get fast free delivery on everything you need to get match day ready, subject to availability. Guys, it's nearly over. No, just two games left. Can you believe it? By the way, at the end of today's show we we've got an ultimate guide to picking your perfect Premier League team. If you're a new football fan and you've caught the bug, so stick around for that. But tomorrow we've got to get ready for the biggest game in world football. I'm excited. Very excited indeed. But before that, it is the third place playoff and this one today is between two old foes, France and England in Miami at 5pm Eastern. Now let's be real for a second. This game isn't one that people usually get that excited about. Nobody of these players, nobody of French players wants to play for this match.

[Roger]

You know, it's a complete nothing game, pointless game.

[Rory]

No one of us wanted to play this game for this Third place England boss Thomas Tuchel and France defender Ibrahima Konate being brutally honest there. But the third place playoff is. And that's bad guys. Finally first, let's start by looking at how these two got here. Ah, France. What could have been Didier Deschamps side quickly established themselves as the tournament frontrunners. They didn't break a sweat throughout the group stages with the joint higher scorers as well. So understandably, the mood in France was pretty high going into the semis. Fans were buzzing their baguettes off and many we spoke to believed this was their year. And in France they even the team B they can run for the World Cup. Everything pointed to France making it to the final. Mbappe was going toe to toe with Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Michael Elise was on fire. Ousmane Dembele was showing the world why he was a Ballon d' or winner. But then it all fell apart. Pedro Poro's goal sealed the win for Spain, an afternoon that stunned the world. France were thoroughly outplayed as everything went wrong for them. William Saliba went off injured, their attack didn't click and Lamina ran rings around their backline. In the end, it could have been more than 2 0. French media claimed that barely a word was spoken in the locker room afterwards. It was crazy. But look, while this isn't the farewell France would have liked for their legendary manager Deschamps, who steps down after 14 years at the helm, this game will mark the end of an era. Having won it in 2018 and finished runners up in 2022, they'll no doubt want to secure a third successive podium finish. Now let's look at England. We haven't heard that recently, have we? You may have noticed that my producers were a lot more quieter than usual after the Argentina game the other day. This tournament, this tournament hasn't been plain sailing really for England. I was convince, convinced they were going to win it as well. But they drew with Ghana and just managed to edge past Panama and Dr. Congo. But fans were then given a reason to believe after overcoming the brutal altitude and getting a result in one of the most intimidating venues in the world. England beat Mexico 32 in Mexico City despite going down to 10 men. It's coming home. It's coming home. It's coming home. England then needed extra time to come from behind to beat Norway pretty unconvincingly in the quarterfinals before crashing out the in heartbreaking fashion against Argentina. Sorry, I'm laughing because my producer George over there behind the Camera is crying. Deal. It's fair to say the English media were not happy with Tuchel's tactics.

[Roger Bennett]

England had Argentina exactly where they should have wanted them.

[Rory]

The FA have publicly backed Thomas Tuchel though, who is contracted until 2028, but there's questions over his substitutions. Despite the heartbreak, this is an opportunity for England to register their best World cup finish since win it in 1966. And although neither side wants to be playing in this game, it should be a pretty intriguing contest. And that brings us down to today's Drill Down. Yep, today's Drill down brought to you by Makita is on. Why you should care about the third fourth place playoff. You should care about it, okay, because we're telling you to. Firstly, the race for the Golden Boot. There are four Golden Boot contenders playing in this game and with the pressure of reaching a final off, we could see teams take off the handbrake in an absolute goal fest. I think sometime in life I'm too competitive. That man, Kylian Mbappe is leading the charge on eight goals. He's joined with Lionel Messi hot on his heels. You've got Kane, Bellingham and Dembele all on six.

[Roger Bennett]

I'm excited.

[Rory]

Oh yeah. They all have fewer assists than Messi though, so would likely need to score at least a hat trick in order to seriously challenge him. But you never know. Besides those chasing golden Blue glory, expect heavily rotated line ups from both sides which present an opportunity to see some of the country's lesser seen stars at this World cup, such as Kobbie Mainoo, Rayan Shirky and fan favourite n' Golo Kante. Secondly, France and England are long standing rivals. Whilst the third, fourth playoff isn't going to be as hotly contested as a final, it's never going to be a friendly affair between these two. France dumped England out of the last World cup, you probably remember, and the three Lions would surely love the opportunity to get some sort of revenge. And finally, the tournament. Everybody is nearly over. After 102 matches, 9,420 minutes and 297 goals, only two games remain. So really, you've just got to sit there and savor every last second of World cup action. You are going to miss it when it's over. I know I will. Now let's catch up on all of the news from the final days of the tournament. And first up, I'm not sure if you've seen it, but it's been quite smoky here in New York this morning.

[Rory Smith]

Millions waking up once again to hazy,

[Rory]

hazardous skies Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has engulfed New York over the last few days. It shouldn't impact the final on Sunday, though, as experts are expecting it to improve by then, with a lot of rain helping to clear most of it today. Next up, the fallout continues after Argentina's victory over England in Wednesday's semi final. In the celebrations, Giovanni Lo Celso bought out a banner which read, the malvinas are Argentine. FIFA's stadium code of conduct forbids banners of a political nature. Back in 2014, Argentina were fined for showing a banner with the same message. But the White House has said that the players were within their rights to do so, citing America's right to free speech. And finally, some news about tomorrow's final. And this concerns the winners. What an absolutely beautiful ring. The winners will obviously get the usual, you know, lift the trophy, get a medal round their neck. But in a nod to North American sporting culture, they will also get rings similar to the ones the Seattle Seahawks got when they won the Super Bowl. Am I allowed to say that they're a little bit tacky?

[Roger Bennett]

Yep.

[Rory]

Well, as Beyonce always said, if you like it, then you should put a ring on it. And FIFA has taken that very literally. After tonight's third place player between France and England, come on down to the men in Blazers, YouTube, where Roger, Rory, and Humphrey Carr will be live with the second to last episode of Nightcup. Tune in to watch the boys break down the action on our big orange bus, which is parked now in New York City. Onto predictions now. My favorite time of the entire show. On Wednesday, I was subbed out for my dog McGinn, which is pretty good. It was a master stroke, actually, because McGinn actually correctly predicted a win for Argentina.

[Roger Bennett]

Very good boy.

[Rory]

Meaning the scores are now 11:10 to the night Cup. Say what you like about the third place playoff, guys, but it all comes down to this. We need a win. Otherwise, it is over. For morning cup date today, I took on Rory. Okay, Rory, this is important because I need to win this to take it to a draw tomorrow.

[Roger]

You are under a lot of pressure.

[Rory]

I am, and I'm feeling it.

[Roger]

I can tell. Actually, there's a sort of look in your eye that makes me think you're starting to crack.

[Rory]

Just pure stress coming. Just coming from my eye. Okay, so England against France.

[Roger]

The big one.

[Rory]

Third place playoff.

[Roger]

Oh, I'm so excited.

[Rory]

Does anyone care?

[Roger]

I think they should. You know, I genuinely think they should care. They should care. It's better to come third than fourth. You should try. You should definitely Try. You shouldn't try too hard, but you should try a bit.

[Rory]

Get on the podium. I'm gonna say france three, England two.

[Roger]

Let's say England four, France three.

[Rory]

Ooh, thriller.

[Roger]

But do I get a point even if England win? Not by that straw line.

[Rory]

Yes.

[Roger]

Okay. That's fine. Yeah. Okay. Let's say England four, France three.

[Rory]

Okay. Perfect. We'll see what happens.

[Roger]

We'll see what happens. I'm not convinced that that is a good prediction.

[Roger Bennett]

And as the world arrives in the United States for the biggest spectacle in sports, we're going coast to coast, host city to host city to meet the world with the men in Blazers. Matchday Live tour. These are free college game day style live events taking place before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer, where we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans. It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or From Afar on YouTube. And let's celebrate this some other way. It's meant to be celebrated. Head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football to more together Courage.

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[Rory]

Mom, can you tell me a story?

[Rory Smith]

Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.

[Rory]

Was she brave?

[Rory Smith]

She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Rory]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Rory Smith]

Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.

[Rory]

Was it scary?

[Rory Smith]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Rory]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Rory Smith]

It did, actually.

[Rory]

Okay, good story.

[Rory Smith]

Car buying you'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Rory]

Has this World cup made you fall in love with football? Are you thinking about maybe trying to take this relationship to the next level with a club team? Well, because on today's finishing touch, brought to you by Bear Paint, we have a matchmaking guide that will pair your favorite World cup team with a Premier League team that is just your type. Let's start with the finalists then. If you've come to admire Argentina's mastery of the dark arts, tactical fouls, swarming the ref, doing anything that's needed to win, and also they live in everyone else's heads rent free, then we think Arsenal might just be your club.

[Roger Bennett]

It's embarrassing, it's a disgrace.

[Rory]

But maybe you're rooting for Spain on Sunday. That's fair enough. If so, why not try Liverpool? They've got swagger, footballing pedigree, sometimes great, and also as we saw last season, sometimes not so great. Or what about France? They've won big trophies not that long ago, have a vast array of attacking talent always reach the latter stages, but also have the tendency to self implode. We give you Chelsea, Alex Le Bleu, or maybe Brazil's history and star studded team is your thing. They just have that belief that this is finally going to be the year that they return to greatness. Despite the trophy cabinet gathering a lot of dust, there's only one logical conclusion here.

[Roger Bennett]

It's Man United we're talking about. It's Man United we're talking about. It is Man United we're talking about. It's Manchester United we're talking about.

[Rory]

It had to be Manchester United, didn't it? Next. And what about the Germans? Well, they've got big names, great facilities and a proud football history. Surely they should be winning every single World Cup. Yeah. In recent years it has just been humiliation after humiliation after humiliation. If Germany is your jam, then Tottenham will be your spiritual home. If you're a USMNT fan who agreed that Flo Balogun's red card should have been overturned and generally believe that rules are more, I don't know, guidelines, then may we suggest to you Manchester City, They've allegedly got a lot of experience in that area. If you love Cape Verde's fairy tale story, you know the tiny African nation punching above their weight, drawing in 90 minutes with both of tomorrow's finalists. Then Bournemouth are waiting for you. Small budget, small stadium, smart recruitment and loved by the neutral. They're made for each other.

[Roger Bennett]

Do they? The dream come true.

[Rory]

What about if the Tartan army won you over? Brilliant fans, slightly unhinged, capable of making any stadium feel like a festival. Even if the football itself isn't always a work of art. Welcome to Leeds United. On the other hand, if Japan caught your eye with their attractive football, welcoming fans and team spirit, what about your memories? Bad bad memory is infinity. And if you're happy swapping trophies, everybody's respect, we think Brighton could be the club for you. On a similar note, if Switzerland floats your boat, beautiful scenery, some nice football, but a bit boring and not a cat in hell's chance of ever winning anything, we give you Fulham. And finally, if this feels like a bit of you, Mexico's got a fan base fueled by hope, heartbreak, blind optimism, incredible vibes ever present in the big tournaments. But you've also got to be a little bit content with a lifetime of footballing misery. If that is you, then join Rog, because Everton, they're waiting. That is it for Morning Update today. Built by the Home Depot, the Home Depot is your winning assist to host the ultimate watch party with fast free delivery to get your backyard match day ready, subject to availability. Thank you all for your YouTube comments on our videos. Keep them coming everybody. We do read them ahead of our last ever show. Just a shout out for anyone at Fanatics Festival today. Make sure to catch Roger's conversation with the great Spike lee. That's at 2:30. Also, the final Matchday Live show kicks off at 12:45 tomorrow too. Rog will be joined by World cup sensation Vizinha Methodman, Tiki Barber, Becky Sauen and Humphrey Carr, followed by a live watch party for the final with Ryan Reynolds and Flo Balogun. As you do. The link for the tickets with a 20% off code is in the notes below. And but before we go, just want to say, two games of glorious football left. Soak it in guys. Enjoy every single minute and we will be back tomorrow for one last time. Make sure that you join us as we look forward to the final and look back at what has been an incredible 39 days. We will see you then.