Condemned to Play: France and England in the Final Nobody Wanted
England manager Thomas Tuchel: “None of our players, and none of the French players, want to play this match.” Didier Deschamps: “England don’t want to play. Neither do we. The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to exist.”
France and England will take the field at Miami Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup bronze-medal match, but the coaches and players are not hiding their disappointment: nobody wanted to play for third place.
Both national teams dreamed of reaching the grand final in New York, but their semifinal defeats have “condemned” them to face each other on Saturday, July 18, at 5:00 PM local time in Miami—11:00 PM in Albania. FIFA has confirmed that the match will take place at Miami Stadium.
England manager Thomas Tuchel spoke openly and without diplomacy:
“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match. They wanted to play in the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that is the situation.”
Nevertheless, the German coach is demanding professionalism from his team. England have one fewer day of recovery than France after being eliminated 2–1 by Argentina, but a victory would secure their best World Cup finish since their historic triumph in 1966. The English Football Association has confirmed the match details.
Didier Deschamps expressed a similar view:
“England don’t want to play. Neither do we. The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to exist.”
For Deschamps, however, this is not merely a consolation match. It will be his final game in charge of France, bringing an extraordinary 14-year era to an end.
“I have a duty for this match. It is not a friendly; it is a third-place playoff. The players, the staff and I have a responsibility to achieve this final objective when we wear this shirt,” the French coach said, according to Reuters.
France were eliminated after losing 2–0 to Spain, and their players now want to give Deschamps a farewell victory. He leaves after guiding France to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final.
The Golden Boot will also be at stake in Miami. Kylian Mbappé has scored eight goals, while Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have six each and will look to make the most of their final opportunity.
Physical fatigue and emotional disappointment may force both coaches to rotate their lineups. But when France and England step onto the pitch, national pride does not allow them to surrender.
Nobody wanted to be in this match. Nobody dreams of winning the bronze medal. But France and England are now condemned to play—and one of them must end the World Cup with a victory.