Play store
France and England will meet in Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff after both fell short of reaching the final.
France entered the tournament as one of the favourites, while England hoped to win its first World Cup title since 1966. Instead, semifinal defeats sent them into the bronze-medal match, with Argentina and Spain set to contest Sunday’s final.
French defender Ibrahima Konaté admitted the team’s disappointment but said France remained determined to finish the tournament on a positive note.
“None of us wanted to play for third place,” Konaté said on Friday. “But we have to approach it professionally. France and England have a long football history, and we’re looking forward to the match.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel said every semifinalist had dreamed of reaching the final but stressed that the playoff still mattered.
“No one wanted to be playing this match,” Tuchel said. “Every one of the semifinalists dreamed of reaching the final. But this is still a World Cup match, and it gives England the chance to achieve its best tournament finish in 60 years. This is an opportunity to show the mentality we’ve displayed throughout the competition.”
France captain Kylian Mbappé remains in the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals, level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who leads on the tiebreak with four assists to Mbappé’s three. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have six goals each.
France coach Didier Deschamps said Mbappé trained on Friday and is available, although several changes to the starting lineup are expected. Tuchel also said England would rotate players.
“We have responsibilities,” Deschamps said. “Our players, coaches, and staff all have a duty to represent France with pride and respect for our supporters.”
Saturday’s match will be Didier Deschamps’ final game as France coach after 14 years in charge. Konaté said the squad wanted to give him a winning send-off.
“He has given so much to French football,” Konaté said. “There have been difficult moments, but he has also brought tremendous success and happiness.”
Deschamps guided France to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final, where they lost to Argentina on penalties. France’s 2026 campaign ended in the semifinals after Spain contained the attacking trio of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise.
He also led France to the UEFA Euro 2016 final.
“This is my final match with the national team,” Deschamps said. “Representing France over these years has been the greatest honor of my professional career. I’ve experienced unforgettable highs and difficult moments, but wearing this jersey has meant everything to me.”
England reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018, but Tuchel said the team still had work to do to match the world’s best.
“The other semifinalists almost expect to become world champions,” Tuchel said. “We believed we could, but there’s still a gap to overcome. That journey continues starting tomorrow.”
Tuchel admitted England became too defensive late in the semifinal against Argentina. After leading 1-0 until the closing minutes, England conceded goals to Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez.
Despite the criticism, Tuchel defended his decisions.
“If someone has to take responsibility,” he said, “then I’ll take it.”
Local people also expressed concern that the lack of nutritious food is affecting Nirab’s health, warning that without proper assistance he may eventually be forced to abandon his education.
Nilphamari Railway Station Master Mithun Roy said he sees the boy studying under the station lights almost every evening.
“As soon as evening falls, he comes here with his books,” Roy said. “His eagerness to learn is truly inspiring. If his family were not facing such severe hardship, he would not have to study at the station. With support from society, I believe this child can achieve great things one day.”