France vs. England: Why Saturday's third-placed playoff is a vital match for Thomas Tuchel

It is not the lucifer that either wanted to play successful this weekend.

Both England and France had dreams of competing successful Sunday's 2026 World Cup final, but pursuing semi-final losses to Argentina and Spain respectively, the 2 teams volition alternatively instrumentality to the tract for a third-placed playoff connected Saturday.

Pre-tournament favourites France came up short against a slick and well-oiled Spain outfit, portion England were beaten precocious connected by semipermanent rivals Argentina.

France won the World Cup successful 2018 and besides reached the 2022 final, truthful it is hard to beryllium excessively captious of the Blues, who person had a beardown past 3 tournaments.

However, for England, the hold for a archetypal men's large trophy since 1966 continues.

2026 World Cup: England volition look France successful third-placed playoff

On the look of it, a third-placed playoff whitethorn look inconvenient, but this is inactive an important lucifer for England, arsenic a triumph and a beardown show would surely instrumentality immoderate of the unit disconnected Thomas Tuchel, who has been heavy criticised since Wednesday's loss.

Only Tuchel volition beryllium capable to accidental whether helium genuinely regrets his determination to campy England successful their ain fractional portion attempting to clasp onto the 1-0 pb fixed to them by Anthony Gordon.

England had been comfy against Argentina, but their withdrawal successful the lucifer handed the inaugural to the satellite champions, with Lionel Messi mounting up Enzo Fernandez and past Lautaro Martinez to nonstop his squad into different final.

Tuchel got it wrong. The tactics were wrong. The substitutions were wrong. The post-match comments were wide of the mark. It was a atrocious 1 for the manager.

Tuchel has been heavy criticised successful aftermath of Argentina loss

However, the German does person the accidental to usher England to what would beryllium their champion World Cup decorativeness since winning the contention 60 years ago.

If 3rd had been offered up of the tourney for England, that would person been considered a immense success, but it was the mode of their nonaccomplishment to Argentina that made it truthful disappointing, alternatively than the exit itself.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are besides successful the statement for the Golden Boot, having some scored six times this summer; the England duo are 2 abbreviated of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe heading into the third-placed playoff connected Saturday.

This lucifer gives England the accidental to extremity connected a affirmative enactment alternatively than a antagonistic one, and it could alteration a batch of people's caller opinions of Tuchel if it is simply a beardown performance, particularly against a squad of France's ilk.

England bidding for champion World Cup decorativeness since 1966

There person been calls for Tuchel to suffer his occupation successful the aftermath of the Argentina loss, but it is understood that helium inactive has the afloat enactment of the Football Association.

As a result, the anticipation is that Tuchel volition stay successful complaint for Euro 2028.

"First of all, the World Cup is not over," said the England brag aft the semi-final defeat. "There is inactive a lucifer to play [Saturday's third-place play-off against France], that we are not looking guardant truthful overmuch to, but determination is inactive a lucifer to play.

"Then we support connected going. I person a declaration until the location Euros and I'm looking guardant to that adjacent similar now, it is hard to look that acold ahead."

Whether Tuchel deserves different accidental is an absorbing statement fixed that helium was brought successful to triumph the World Cup but yet fell abbreviated successful a precise disappointing way.

However, positives could beryllium taken from a third-placed decorativeness astatine the 2026 competition, making Saturday's crippled with France incredibly important for Tuchel and the Three Lions, arsenic optics are everything.

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