France-England Third-Place Match: Tuchel and the Blues Admit They Don't Want to Play

France and England meet Saturday evening in Miami for the third-place match of the 2026 World Cup, a fixture that both camps are openly approaching without enthusiasm, following their respective semi-final eliminations.

The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Spain last Tuesday, a defeat all the more bitter as Didier Deschamps’ team, driven by a dominant attack throughout the tournament, proved completely ineffective against the Spanish collective. England, for its part, lost 2-1 to Argentina.

Within the France camp, the dismay is palpable. “Do you think they want to play this match?” a source close to the Blues told L’Équipe. “Of course not. This group was here for something else.” Another member of the coaching staff was even more direct: “They’re disgusted at having to play.”

Thomas Tuchel, England manager, struck a similar tone in his press conference. “Nobody wants to play this match, not even the French players,” he said. “Like us, they wanted to play in the final and we gave everything to get there too. We’ll prepare for this match professionally, obviously, even though we’ll have one less day of rest than them.”

This third-place finish, which offers no additional qualification or major sporting reward, is traditionally the least coveted match of the entire tournament. For Kylian Mbappé and his teammates, who came to the United States with ambitions of a third star, the pill is particularly bitter. Kick-off is set for 11 p.m. in Miami.