France v England: World Cup third-place playoff – live

Why This Matters

Key context: <ul><li><p>World Cup updates from 10pm BST/5pm EDT/7am AEST</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/16/players-puzzled-tactics-tuchel-no-option-england-squad-picks">Players ‘puzzled’ but Tuchel left himself no option</a></p></li><li><p><a href="mailto:john.brewin.casual@guardian.co.uk">Email John</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2022/nov/14/football-daily-email-sign-up">Sign up for Football Daily</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>What of Deschamps himself? He had this to say:</strong> “I have a duty for this game. It is not a friendly. It is a third-place playoff. The players, staff, and I have the duty to reach this last objective. It is less important than the final. England does not want to play this game, and neither do we. But here we are.</p><p>“We have to set our eyes on that goal to be third and make this final goal a reality. We have this duty when wearing this jersey. In my head I know that it is my last match. I don’t want anybody to cry. The end is near but life goes on.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/jul/18/france-v-england-world-cup-third-place-playoff-live">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.