France head coach Didier Deschamps has acknowledged that neither his side nor England wanted to contest the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place playoff, but insisted his players have a responsibility to compete for the bronze medal when the teams meet in Miami on Saturday (local time).
France's bid to reach a third successive World Cup final ended after a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals. Ahead of the playoff, Deschamps stressed that, despite the disappointment of missing out on the title match, the fixture still carries significance.
"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," Deschamps said, as quoted by Reuters.
The veteran coach said France's immediate objective is to finish third, adding that representing the national team comes with the obligation to fight for every available achievement. Deschamps also reflected on the occasion being his final match in charge of France.
"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," he said.
France defender Ibrahima Konate echoed his coach's sentiments, admitting the squad had no desire to play the third-place match after the semi-final defeat but saying the players are determined to send Deschamps off with a victory.
"None of us wanted to play for this third place, but we have no choice. We want to pay back our coach," he said.
"He did so much for the France team. We must be grateful to him for that, and we need to do everything we can to win this game... to get this chocolate medal, this bronze medal," Konate said.
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