Follow Us on Google
England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that players from both England and France would rather not feature in Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff, saying “nobody wants to play this match.”
Both teams will meet at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 18, 2026 after suffering semifinal defeats that ended their hopes of reaching the final.
England lost 2-1 to defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, while France were beaten 2-0 by Spain a day earlier.
Speaking after the defeat to Argentina, Tuchel said, “None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match. They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is.”
Tuchel also noted England have “one less day of recovery than France” but said the team would approach the game “with professionalism”.
France boss Didier Deschamps took a different tone, saying his side will “do everything we can to get” third place despite the disappointment.
“We’re not where we wanted or expected to be. The disappointment matches our ambitions, … but we have to accept it. We have no other choice,” Deschamps said.
The third-place playoff is widely disliked by players but remains on the FIFA schedule to fill the gap between the semifinals and final.
It also carries ranking points and a share of thenearlt the $30 million third-place prize pool.
The match will mark Deschamps’ final game in charge of France after 14 years.
For England, it offers a chance at their best World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966.
Despite the semifinal exit, the FA has confirmed Tuchel will remain England manager through to Euro 2028.
