France and England will face off tonight (12:00 a.m.) in Miami in the third-place match of the World Cup. Both teams are called upon to pick up the pieces and fight one more battle, even if it doesn’t carry much at stake, ending their tournament on a positive note, even if the stakes aren’t comparable to those of a final.

The “Tricolors” suffered a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semifinal, delivering one of their most disappointing performances of the tournament. They were never able to impose their rhythm or pose a real threat, with the “Furia Roja” completely dominating the field. The Spaniards’ excellent defensive organization neutralized the attacking weapons of Didier Deschamps’ team, putting an end to the French team’s dream of a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.

This outcome stands in stark contrast to what had come before, as France boasted the tournament’s most prolific offense, having scored 16 goals in the six games leading up to the semifinal.

For his final match as head coach of the French national team, Didier Deschamps must also manage several key absences. Saliba was injured in the semifinal and is out of the tournament, while the experienced coach is expected to make several changes, leaving even Kylian Mbappé out of the starting lineup. The captain of the “Tricolores,” however, is still in contention for the tournament’s Golden Boot, tied at the top of the scoring charts with Lionel Messi, each with eight goals.

A similar sense of disappointment prevails in the England camp. Thomas Tuchel’s team came within a hair’s breadth of advancing to the final against Argentina, having led 1-0, but collapsed in the final minutes of the match. They conceded two goals after the 85th minute and watched their ticket to the final slip away in dramatic fashion.

The German coach is facing intense criticism for his handling of the match, though he will once again have Kwancha available for the third-place match. In contrast, Livramento and Henderson were unable to overcome their injuries and were left out of the squad.

Although the match has no particular bearing on the standings, it offers significant personal motivation for two of the “Three Lions’” biggest stars. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham each have six goals in the tournament, and with a strong performance, they can close in on—or even tie—the leaders of the scoring race, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, who each have eight goals.

Possible starting lineups for the match

France (Didier Deschamps): Menian – Koundé, Upamecano, Lacroix, T. Hernández – Koné, Rabiot – Dembélé, Olise, Doué – Mbappé.

England (Thomas Tuchel): Pickford – Konsa, Stones, Gay, Spence – Rice, Anderson – Saka, Bellingham, Gordon – Kane.

*photo source: AP