Didier Deschamps will take charge of France for the final time on Saturday as Les Bleus face England in the World Cup third-place playoff in Miami, with Zinédine Zidane widely expected to succeed him after the tournament.
The 56-year-old intends to rotate his squad for the bronze final, giving opportunities to fringe players while resting key figures such as Dayot Upamecano. Arsenal defender William Saliba will miss the match through injury, with Maxence Lacroix and Ibrahima Konaté predicted to start in central defence. However, Kylian Mbappé is expected to feature as he remains level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of motivating players for the fixture, stating: “None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match.” Despite this, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté expressed determination to secure victory for Deschamps, saying: “We want to pay back our coach… we need to do everything we can to win this game… to get this chocolate medal, this bronze medal.”
The Three Lions have struggled in previous third-place appearances, losing to Italy in 1990 and Belgium in 2018. The first World Cup third-place playoff took place in 1934, when Germany defeated Austria 3-2.
Spain and Argentina Bring Unbeaten Runs to Final
Sunday’s showpiece in New Jersey features a meeting between Spain and Argentina, with both sides boasting formidable unbeaten records. Spain have avoided defeat in normal or extra time for 37 consecutive matches since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March 2024, equalling the European record set by Italy between 2018 and 2021. Luis de la Fuente has utilised 62 different players across this sequence, with Fabián Ruiz amassing 49 caps without losing in regulation time and Marc Cucurella logging the most minutes.
Argentina enter the final on a 14-match winning streak under Lionel Scaloni. The defending champions have prioritised togetherness and emotional cohesion over rigid tactical systems, and may deploy a 4-5-1 formation with Messi operating as a loose centre-forward supported by Julián Álvarez. Analysts suggest Argentina could attempt to disrupt Rodri’s rhythm through man-to-man marking, potentially using Alexis Mac Allister or Enzo Fernández to break Spain’s passing patterns.
Spain have averaged 64% possession throughout the tournament and will benefit from an extra day’s rest compared to Argentina. Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the final, having previously overseen Spain’s Euro 2024 semi-final victory over France.
An Argentina victory would make them the third country to win back-to-back World Cups, following Italy and Brazil. Spain could become the fourth men’s side to hold the Euros and World Cup simultaneously, joining West Germany, France and their own historic side of 2008-2012.