It’s taken us 60 games but we’ve finally arrived at one of the biggest matchups of the World Cup with England and France meeting in the quarterfinals.
FIFA couldn’t have scripted it better themselves (except for maybe an Argentina-Brazil matchup but that’s out of the cards). In one corner, you have an English squad eager to deliver their country its first major trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966.
The Three Lions are looking for redemption after a disappointing loss at Euro 2020 and are laser focused on bringing it home.
In the other corner, you have the defending World Cup champions. The French have shown style and finesse since arriving in Qatar and seem to possess the ability to get it done no matter the opponent.
Only one will advance. Here’s a look at the quarterfinal matchup between England and France.
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When is England vs. France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The European giants will face off Saturday, Dec. 10th.
What time is England vs. France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The match will kick off at 2 p.m. ET (10 p.m. local time) at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
How to watch England vs. France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The game will be broadcast on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish.
How to stream England vs. France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The game can be streamed online on FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports app or on Peacock (Spanish).
Who are the players to watch in England vs. France?
Take your pick. Saturday’s semifinal is arguably the biggest match of the tournament so far, in terms of the sheer number of household names included on the pitch.
England
For England, Harry Kane leads one of its most stacked rosters ever. Kane, captain of Tottenham Hotspurs, won the Golden Boot in 2018 with five goals. Despite only scoring one goal so far in Qatar, Kane remains one of the preeminent strikers. He’s joined by a number of key veterans including Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson.
The big breakout story for England, however, are the young guns who are putting on a show for the Three Lions. Jude Bellingham kicked things off against Iran, becoming the first player born after 2000 to score at a World Cup, and it’s been an offensive clinic ever since. In addition to Bellingham, Bukaya Saka, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford have all combined to record eight of England’s 12 goals.
Midfielder Raheem Sterling, the most capped member of the team, missed Sunday’s matchup against Senegal. Sterling returned to Surrey following an armed robbery at his house, with his family reportedly inside. It’s unclear if and when Sterling will return to play in Qatar.
France
The French squad is no different.
In goal they have Hugo Lloris, who has seen his fair share of English strikers, including Tottenham teammate Kane. AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez and Barcelona’s Jules Koundé hold things down on the backline.
The defending World Cup Champions have no shortage of weapons up top including Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud, who recently became the country’s all-time leading goal scorer against Poland.
But there is no France without Kylian Mbappé. The 23-year-old is essential to France’s national identity that President Emmanuel Macron personally reached out to Mbappé when he was considering leaving PSG for Real Madrid…and that was at the club level.
Mbappé currently leads the Golden Boot race in Qatar with five goals. For perspective, the 20 shots he’s taken through three-and-a-half games is more than double that of his next closest teammate. Even more stunningly is his accuracy, accounting for nine of the team’s 21 shots on goal.
There are few players left in the tournament with a bigger impact than Mbappé. With N’Golo Kanté and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema sidelined with injuries, Mbappé continues to shoulder the offensive responsibilities for this squad.
Who will the winner of England vs. France play in the semifinals?
The winner of England and France will play the winner of Morocco and Portugal, who face off earlier this Saturday. The semifinals matchup will take place at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
