- Tuchel rests Kane and Bellingham as Ivan Toney leads the line; Henderson, Quansah, Eze and Rashford start
- Miami heat (32°C) and possible thunderstorms could disrupt a bruising bronze final
- Mbappé chases the Golden Boot as Deschamps’ France look to end an era on a high; England target best World Cup finish in 60 years
It’s the game nobody dreams about, but it still matters. England meet France in Miami for the World Cup bronze final, looking to shake off that late sting from Argentina and finish with something to show for a long, lung-busting month. Storms are in the forecast, the heat is vicious, and the mood is spiky after a week of finger-pointing at Thomas Tuchel. If you’re weighing up the odds, our guide to best football betting sites can help you make sense of the markets.
Team News and Selection Calls
Tuchel has gone bold. Harry Kane is rested despite the Golden Boot picture, and Ivan Toney finally gets the nod up top. There are fresh legs everywhere you look: Dean Henderson between the posts, Jarell Quansah at the back, with Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford handed starts. The bench is heavyweight – Kane, Jude Bellingham and others ready to tilt it late if required.
Speaking to the BBC, Tuchel framed it as pure pragmatism: the miles in the legs, the travel, the extra time earlier in the tournament – and the need for finishers. He insists Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are fit to go from the off. The reaction in the ground told its own story, though; the England boss was booed when shown on the big screen at Miami Stadium. Win tonight and much of that noise fades. Lose, and it swells.
Heat, History and the Stakes
No roof, no air-con, just 32°C and a sticky Floridian evening – a proper test of game management. Last time England were here it was a happier tale, a 2-1 win over Norway. Now it’s about mentality as much as technique. Kylian Mbappé is on the hunt for the Golden Boot in a tug-of-war with Lionel Messi, while France try to give Didier Deschamps a fitting send-off. Expect intensity and space late on as legs go and benches decide it.
FIFA’s data-led ‘power rankings’ have underlined just how many elite attackers are on show; this could swing on set pieces and who keeps their nerve in the Miami soup. For England, there’s genuine incentive: best World Cup finish in six decades. Toney has called it a chance to prove he deserved more minutes – tonight, he gets his stage.
Elsewhere, reports this afternoon claim Chelsea and Aston Villa have agreed a £117m deal for 23-year-old Morgan Rogers, with a six-year contract mooted after his medical post-tournament. Arsenal were said to be in the mix; if confirmed, it’s a statement of intent as the window hums.
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Football fanatic, you will often find me on the terraces at lower league matches on a Saturday afternoon. I leave the Premier League matches to the prawn sandwich brigade; grassroots football for me all the way.
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