Zaïre-Emery benched again: Deschamps opts for Kanté and Koné against England

Warren Zaïre-Emery is unlikely to feature in France’s starting XI for the third-place playoff of the 2026 World Cup against England on Saturday in Miami. Didier Deschamps would prefer N’Golo Kanté and Manu Koné in midfield once again, according to information available before the match.

The 2026 World Cup will leave a bitter taste for the 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder. Despite having a great season with PSG, Zaïre-Emery has played just twenty minutes across the entire tournament, coming on as a substitute in the quarter-final against Morocco (2-0). Despite an impressive cameo, he remained on the bench throughout the entire semi-final loss to Spain (0-2), fourth in the midfield hierarchy behind Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouameni and Koné.

For this third-place match, Deschamps is set to make seven changes from the XI that faced La Roja. In defense, Lucas Hernandez could play his first minutes of the tournament on the left flank, while Malo Gusto would replace Jules Koundé on the right. The central defensive pairing would consist of Ibrahima Konaté and Maxence Lacroix, with Mike Maignan in goal.

Upfront, Kylian Mbappé is expected to lead the attack in his quest for a personal tournament record. Ousmane Dembélé, Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola would surround him in a revamped attacking quartet.

France’s probable XI against England: Maignan — Gusto, Konaté, Lacroix, L. Hernandez — Koné, Kanté — Dembélé, Cherki, Barcola — Mbappé.