FIFA World Cup 2026 Advertisement live Updated 4m ago France and England meet in the World Cup third place play-off match in Miami today. Didier Deschamps is taking charge of France for the final time after his side’s 2-0 defeat against Spain in the first semi-final. England, meanwhile, are looking to end their World Cup on a positive note after squandering a late lead in the 2-1 defeat to Argentina a day later. I wonder what approach England will take on selection today. Try to win the game? Or get some minutes into players who have been away for six weeks and deserve a go? Surely Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka can't play. What about Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham? Does Thomas Tuchel let Kane get a few goals in pursuit of the golden boot? England have a couple of their own stars in the race for the Golden Boot, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham (six goals apiece) head and shoulders above their team-mates in their importance to the team. You could argue that Bellingham has had the more influential tournament of the pair, popping up with crucial goals against both Mexico and Norway in the knockout rounds. Given the significant burden they have carried on their shoulders over the first seven matches, you would suspect one (or both) will be rested today — but that does not detract from the fact they are England’s most important players when the chips are down. I was at the Thomas Tuchel press conference here last night and I have genuinely never seen him like that. He looked shaken, defensive and at times prickly. He was open about the pain of Wednesday night, which he says is still getting worse. John Stones, sat alongside him, looked very despondent too. This will be a thoroughly miserable experience for the whole England squad. Thomas Tuchel was appointed by the Football Association with one goal in mind: to win the World Cup. An elite manager with a record for winning trophies, he was singled out as the man to end England’s 60-year wait for the trophy. So what
Fuente: NYT — Ver nota original
