England vs France: Two European heavyweights battle for a spot in the semi-finals

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The defending champions face Kane and Co. in what is seen by many as the toughest Quarter-final clash to predict. Follow this game with our detailed guide.

One of the most anticipated games in this World Cup will hand out the final spot for the winner of this tie to play in the semi-finals. England and France will be the teams fighting for that ticket in a tough match to predict.

The English side make it to this game as one of the teams that are yet to lose a game in the tournament. As of now, Gareth Southgate's team won Group B over the USMNT, Wales, and Iran, which gave them the right to face Senegal in the Round of 16. Once there, the Three Lions claimed an emphatic 3-0 win. Just 18 months after reaching the UEFA Euro final, the English side seems set to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, as the team has been quite consistent and rather accurate in front of goal, with twelve goals to their name.

As for the French side, the defending champions won their group against Denmark, Tunisia, and Australia, although they could not make it with a perfect record after their loss to Tunisia on Matchday 3. Les Bleus would then go on to beat Poland in the Round of 16 without breaking a sweat, as they claimed a 3-1 win. It has been an interesting run for Didier Deschamps' men, who have also shown their strength in front of goal with nine goals scored in the competition.

England came close to returning to a World Cup final four years ago, when they were eliminated by Croatia in the semis. The Three Lions would go on to lose the third-place match against Belgium, but even with that loss, it was the best performance for this team since 1990, when they also finished fourth.

On the other hand, France have already made it way further than in their past title defense in a FIFA World Cup, where they crashed out in the group stage. In fact, France have improved the performances of the last four FIFA World Cup champions, as all of them were eliminated in the Group Stage four years after dominating the world. Will they become the first team to claim back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962?

Here is a closer look at some key facts from this tie.

England vs France - Team news

The Three Lions make it to this game on a high note, with players such as Marcus Rashford and Buyako Saka leading the pack with three goals. Added to their contribution, Harry Kane has also been quite helpful for the team, with three assists to his name. Coach Gareth Southgate will have all these players at his disposal, but John Stones, Callum Wilson, and Raheem Sterling have been listed as doubts for the English side. Added to those names, Ben White reportedly left the team prior to Saturday's match, which makes his eligibility for this game doubtful.

The defending champions will enter this Quarterfinal round with Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud as their main goalscoring threats. The PSG player will enter this clash as the top scorer in the World Cup, and he will be keen on adding to that number here. France will be able to field the best possible lineup for this game, as they have not reported any injuries ahead of this tie.

England vs France - Head-to-head

This will be the third FIFA World Cup game between England and France.
Both of those games ended in wins for the English side: the first one in 1966 (2-0), and the second one in 1982 (3-1).
This will be the first KO stage match between the Three Lions and Les Bleus.
Considering other tournaments and friendlies, this will be the 32nd game between France and England. The record shows nine wins for France, five draws, and seventeen wins for England.
The most recent match between these teams was held in 2017. The game ended in a 3-2 win for France.
France's coach Didier Deschamps will face England for the third time. His record shows one win and one defeat against the English squad.
England boss Gareth Southgate will face France for the second time in his coaching career. He lost the previous tie against the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions.