France and England are all set for the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff, with both teams making several changes to their starting lineups. Les Bleus, meanwhile, will begin the match with Dayot Upamecano on the bench after head coach Didier Deschamps opted for a tactical adjustment.
For this final match, the manager opted to completely reshape his defense compared to previous games, not only for tactical reasons but also because of injuries, as was the case with William Saliba.
Jules Kounde is another notable player who will not be in the starting lineup, nor will Lucas Digne, one of the key figures in France’s semifinal defeat to Spain. As a result, this is the starting XI that will take the field at Miami Stadium.
Mike Maignan; Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, Maxence Lacroix; Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, Rayan Cherki; Kylian Mbappe (C), Michael Olise, Desire Doue.
Didier Deschamps of France
More changes in attack
The defense is not the only thing Deschamps changed ahead of this match. Ousmane Dembele will also not be starting from the beginning, giving Rayan Cherki, one of the players France has in the Premier League, the opportunity to play more minutes in the tournament.
Mbappe wants to be the top scorer
The Golden Boot race has become a thrilling battle, even with just two matches remaining. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have both scored eight goals and are aiming to finish as the World Cup’s top scorer.
Mbappe can continue to cement his legacy in this match against England. Messi, meanwhile, will attempt to do the same on Sunday in the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, which will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 3 PM ET.
