Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 17

Deschamps Confirms Mbappé for England Match as France Weighs XI Changes Before 3rd-Place Playoff

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 17

Deschamps Confirms Mbappé for England Match as France Weighs XI Changes Before 3rd-Place Playoff

Q: After 14 years, will Deschamps' legacy be a bronze medal or the launch of a new generation of French stars?

Deschamps’ legacy will be defined far more by the generation he leaves behind than by whether France finish third. The bronze-medal match against England is significant only in the narrow sense that it is his final game after 14 years in charge. Deschamps has said he still has a duty to win it, and France can add a medal, prize money and perhaps help Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race. But even inside both camps, there is open recognition that this is a match “no one wants” after missing the final. That makes it a poor measure of a reign as long and successful as his. The stronger measure is the body of work. Deschamps restored France to sustained elite status: World Cup winners in 2018, runners-up in 2022, Nations League winners in 2021, and regular contenders deep into major tournaments. Few national-team coaches have matched that consistency. Just as important, he is handing over a squad built for the next cycle. France’s 2026 group blends Mbappé at his peak with a younger core including Warren Zaïre-Emery, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, William Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté. Even in his final match, Deschamps is expected to rotate heavily, underlining that he sees value in giving fringe and younger players World Cup minutes. If France beat England, the bronze medal will decorate his exit. The lasting legacy is that he leaves France not at the end of an era, but at the start of another.

Q: With the Golden Boot on the line, will Mbappé's personal quest overshadow France's team goal for a bronze medal?

Probably not entirely, but it will be the dominant subplot. Mbappé’s Golden Boot chase is real and unusually significant. He is tied with Lionel Messi on eight goals, trails on assists, and goals in the third-place playoff count. Didier Deschamps has confirmed he is available and expected to start, even while rotating much of the side. In a match many players and coaches openly describe as one “no one wants” after missing the final, that individual race naturally draws attention. But it does not fully displace France’s team objective. Deschamps has been clear that, in his final match after 14 years in charge, France still has a duty to win the bronze medal. There is also a practical incentive: medals, ranking points and extra prize money. Ibrahima Konaté’s comments point the same way — disappointment is obvious, but representing France still matters. The key point is that Mbappé’s personal aim and France’s team aim largely align. If France creates chances for Mbappé, it improves both his Golden Boot prospects and their chances of beating England. That is especially relevant in a third-place game, which historically tends to be open and high-scoring. So the Golden Boot race is likely to overshadow the narrative around the match more than the football itself. Publicly, Mbappé’s pursuit will be the headline; on the pitch, France can still treat it as a serious attempt to finish third and give Deschamps a winning farewell.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 17

Kylian Mbappé is available for France's third-place playoff against England, with Didier Deschamps saying he will still rotate his usual starting XI in his final game as coach.
Eight goals leave Mbappé level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race, but Messi leads on assists and goals from the bronze-medal match still count.
Deschamps said some players want to play for personal reasons and others may be rested, while declining to reveal private talks after France's semifinal loss to Spain.
Ibrahima Konaté said motivation is difficult because France wanted the final, but argued the squad must respect the shirt despite sharing Thomas Tuchel's view that few want this match.
2012 marks the start of Deschamps' reign, which ends after the playoff following a tenure that included major highs and his final pre-match media appearance.