MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — For two elite soccer powerhouses that entered the 202X FIFA World Cup with trophy dreams dancing in their heads, the next match is not one either side ever imagined they would be playing. After bowing out in the semifinal round, France and England will share an unwanted stage Saturday, contesting the World Cup’s third-place playoff while Argentina and Spain prepare to battle for the sport’s biggest prize in Sunday’s final.
Neither side hid their disappointment at falling just one win away from a spot in the final, a result that ends their pursuit of the global title they came into the tournament chasing. France entered the competition as one of the pre-tournament favorites to lift the trophy, while England was gunning to end its 58-year wait for a second World Cup crown, following its historic 1966 victory.
“None of us wanted to play in this game for third place,” French defender Ibrahima Konate shared with reporters on Friday. “But we don’t have a choice to play. France and England have a big story together. And yeah, we are looking forward for the game tomorrow, and let’s see what will happen.”
While the third-place match offers no path to the World Cup title, it still carries meaningful subplots for both sides. For England manager Thomas Tuchel, the game presents an opportunity to rebuild public standing after widespread criticism of his tactical decisions in the Three Lions’ tight semifinal loss to Argentina. For French superstar Kylian Mbappé, he still has a shot at claiming the tournament’s Golden Boot, awarded to the top goalscorer across the competition.
Mbappé currently sits level on eight goals with Argentine captain Lionel Messi atop the scoring leaderboard. Messi holds a narrow advantage on the tiebreaker, however, having notched four assists to Mbappé’s three. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain in the hunt as well, with six goals each.
Didier Deschamps, France’s head coach, confirmed that Mbappé will be available for selection on Saturday, though he plans to rotate his regular starting lineup for the fixture. “We do have a match for the third place playoff, and there’s a duty,” Deschamps said. “We have duties. I have duties, my staff has duties and so do the players. We have a responsibility to wear this jersey for all the French people who are cheering for us.”
Beyond individual accolades and team pride, Saturday’s match will mark a historic capstone: it is the final game in charge for Deschamps, who has led the French national team for 14 years. Konate said the French squad is determined to send their manager out with a victory as a tribute to his tenure. “He carried many French players,” Konate said. “We had some disappointing moments, but he brought a lot of joy.”
Deschamps’ legacy with France is already cemented: he led the nation to a World Cup victory in 2018, suffered a heart-wrenching penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the 2022 final, and saw his side undone by a solid Spanish defensive block that neutralized France’s potent attacking trio of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise in this year’s semifinal. The manager’s only major title is the sport’s biggest prize, though he also led France to a runner-up finish at the 2016 European Championship on home soil.
“I know it will be the last match and I also know that the French national team will be missed,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege for 15 years to be up here with this jersey, to experience magnificent moments, more difficult moments. The French national team is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me in my professional career.”