France trained in Fort Lauderdale on Friday (July 17) ahead of Saturday’s (July 18) World Cup third-place match against England in Miami, with captain Kylian Mbappé and goalkeeper Mike Maignan taking part in the session.
The bronze-medal match will mark the final game in charge for coach Didier Deschamps, who announced before the tournament that he would step down after the World Cup. France’s run ended with a 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain, their third straight major tournament semifinal defeat to the Spanish.
Despite describing the third-place playoff as less meaningful than a final, Deschamps said his team still has a responsibility to represent France with pride and finish the tournament on a positive note.
Defender Ibrahima Konaté said the squad wants to deliver a victory as a tribute to the departing coach.
France faces England on Saturday (July 18), with Mbappé also chasing the tournament’s Golden Boot after scoring eight goals so far.
(Reuters)
