World Cup third-place playoff: What are France and England playing for?

Didier Deschamps takes complaint ⁠of Les Bleus for the last clip portion Kylian Mbappe is chasing idiosyncratic history.

France and England volition person to prime themselves up from crushing World Cup semifinal defeats for Saturday’s third-place game.

France’s hopes of reaching a 3rd successive World Cup last were emphatically ended ⁠by Spain successful a 2-0 defeat connected Tuesday, portion England suffered their ain heartbreak a time aboriginal with a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Argentina.

With some teams physically and emotionally drained aft heavy runs done the expanded 48-team tournament, however, the accepted bronze-medal lucifer whitethorn consciousness similar an unwanted duty for players who arrived successful North America dreaming of lifting the trophy.

“None of these players, nary of the French players privation to play ⁠this match. They privation to play successful the final. We gave everything to ⁠be successful the final,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said.

But others whitethorn beryllium much motivated, with Didier Deschamps taking complaint ⁠of Les Bleus for the last clip and Kylian Mbappe chasing idiosyncratic history.

Deschamps’ farewell

The Miami lucifer volition bring down the curtain connected Deschamps’ 14-year reign, during which helium led France to the 2018 World Cup title, the last 4 years aboriginal and 3 successive World Cup semifinals.

While the 57-year-old ‌had hoped to permission with a 2nd satellite rubric arsenic a coach, Saturday offers his players 1 past accidental to nonstop disconnected the antheral who established France arsenic 1 of planetary football’s astir accordant forces implicit the past decade.

Deschamps and adjunct manager Guy Stephan [AFP]

Golden Boot race

France are expected to rotate their starting lineup significantly, giving opportunities to players who person featured little during the tournament, portion Tuchel could instrumentality a akin attack aft his side’s exhausting campaign.

There could, however, beryllium 1 compelling ⁠reason for France skipper Mbappe to start.

The 27-year-old has scored 8 goals astatine this World Cup and 20 successful the tourney overall, leaving him successful contention for the Golden Boot ⁠and wrong scope of the all-time scoring record.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi presently tops the charts with 8 goals and 4 assists (which are utilized arsenic tiebreakers erstwhile the fig of goals is level) and holds the all-time grounds with 21 goals.

With small corporate ⁠pressure attached to the third-place playoff, the lucifer could connection Mbappe a last accidental to crook a disappointing extremity to France’s run into different landmark infinitesimal successful a vocation already defined by the World Cup.

Meanwhile, England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham some person six goals and person an extracurricular accidental of claiming the Golden Boot – if they feature.

Mbappe and Spain’s Rodri combat for the shot during the semifinal [AFP]

Getting minutes

England volition person their ain disappointment to flooded aft coming agonisingly adjacent ‌to Sunday’s final, and Tuchel whitethorn besides usage the crippled to springiness minutes to members of his squad who person spent overmuch of the tourney connected the sidelines.

The stakes whitethorn beryllium little than either squad wanted, but ‌for ‌fringe players determination volition beryllium an accidental to marque a last impression.

A small much cash

The third-placed broadside instrumentality location $2m much successful prize wealth compared with the fourth-placed broadside – $29m and $27m respectively.