Thuram still on the bench in the third-place playoff final

At 11 PM Italian time tonight, the third-place final of the 2026 World Cup will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Facing each other are France and England, two national teams that would have preferred to play in the real final, the one scheduled for tomorrow at the MetLife Stadium. Instead, they will compete for the bronze medal, in a match that neither team wanted to play.

For France, this will be Deschamps‘ last match as coach, as he leaves the French team after 14 years. The former Juventus midfielder will field a reshuffled lineup, but without excessive changes. Up front, Marcus Thuram is expected to be rested again, after experiencing a complicated tournament in this World Cup due to competition in the attacking department and some minor physical issues.

The probable lineup for the Bleus should see Maignan in goal, a defense made up of Gusto, Konaté, Lacroix, and Theo Hernandez. In midfield, Zaïre-Emery and Rabiot will play, while in the attacking midfield Cherki, Olise, and Doué will support Mbappé. France was among the favorites at the start, but as happened in 2022, they will not be able to get their hands on the most coveted trophy.

Among the England players, there will be room for Djed Spence, who has delivered excellent performances during the tournament. In central defense, Trevoh Chalobah is expected, now set to join Como but previously strongly linked to the Inter management. Tuchel is also expected to make some rotations, with Bellingham likely starting from the bench and possible turnover between starters and substitutes during the match.

The probable English lineup features Pickford in goal, a defensive line with Spence, Chalobah, Burn, and O’Reilly. In midfield, James and Mainoo, with Madueke, Eze, and Rashford supporting Kane. A match that closes a long and exhausting competition, with both teams seeing their dreams of glory fade away.