England vs Belgium: FIFA World Cup third-place play-off match details, live steaming

England football team
England football team Reuters

England and Belgium meet in the third-place play-off match of Fifa World Cup 2018 at Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg on Saturday, July 14.

When does the match start and how to watch it live

The losers' final will start at 5 pm local time, 10 pm SGT and 3 pm BST.

England vs Belgium preview

In what can be called as a glorified friendly and the most depressing match of the World Cup, England and Belgium, the losing semi-finalists, will play for the third-place finish.

This is the second time the two teams would be meeting after Belgium's 1-0 win over England in their final round-robin encounter.

England, much to the disappointment of their fans, lost 2-1 to Croatia after squandering an early lead that they had taken through Kieran Trippier's goal as early as in the fifth minute of the semi-final on Wednesday.

Gareth Southgate's men were dominant in the first half but the tables turned when Ivan Perisic scored the equaliser for Croatia in the 68th minute. Mario Mandzukic's extra-time winner was the lethal blow that ended England's dreams of reaching their first final since 1990.

Southgate backs England to finish on a high

It would have been a difficult defeat to digest but Southgate is hopeful of his team ending the tournament on a high.

"We want to finish the tournament well. We have a high motivation to perform. We have a chance to win a medal at a World Cup, which only one other English team has ever done," Southgate told the media on the eve of the match.

"Emotionally it has been a difficult few days but the players are incredible. They are a pleasure to work with. They have an energy and desire," he added.

On the other hand, Belgium will be hoping to end what has been a positive tournament for them on a high.

Roberto Martinez's side had played some high-intensity matches in the knockout stages as they had to overcome a two-goal deficit against Japan in the Round of 16 and beat five-time champions Brazil in the quarter-final.

A lot was expected of them in the semi-final against France but Samuel Umtiti's only goal proved to be decisive.

Belgium is treating the third-place play-off as an "important fixture" and is ready to perform for one last time in Russia, according to Martinez.

The race for the Golden Boot will be on as well, as leader Harry Kane, with five goals, is two ahead of nearest-contender Romelu Lukaku.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho offers solution to Romelu Lukakus goal drought

Team News

England boss Southgate had hinted that he wouldn't be making a lot of changes, barring the ones due to fitness issues. Trippier, the goal-scorer of the semi-final, is unlikely to play due to a groin injury on Wednesday.

England probable XI: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill, Harry Maguire; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Fabian Delph; Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane

On the other hand, Belgium will see Thomas Meunier, who had missed the semi-final with a one-match ban, will return to the side.

Belgium probable XI: Thibaut Courtois; Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld; Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli, Thomas Meunier; Marouane Fellaini Eden Hazard; Romelu Lukaku.

Fifa World Cup 2018 third place match live streaming

  • US: Fox Sports, fubo TV; Live stream: Fox Sports GO
  • UK: ITV, Live stream: The ITV Hub
  • UAE: beIN MAX 3; Live stream: beIN Sports Connect
  • Argentina: Canal 7, TyC Sports, DIRECTV Sports; Live stream: DIRECTV Play
  • Australia: Optus Sport, SBS
  • Bangladesh: PTV Sports, Sony ESPN
  • Singapore: StarHub TV, StarHub Go
  • France: TF1, beIN Sports 1; Live stream: beIN Sports Connect
This article was first published on July 14, 2018
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