Didier Deschamps made six changes to France’s starting lineup for France vs England in the World Cup third-place match, giving his squad a different look for what will be its final game of the tournament.
France reached the match after losing 0-2 to Spain in the semifinal on Tuesday in Dallas. Deschamps described the game as a “petite finale,” but he also acknowledged the reality around a third-place match, saying “personne n’a envie de jouer.”
The lineup changes are a clear sign of how the third-place game is often handled. With France and England meeting in a match that comes after the disappointment of missing out on the final, Deschamps opted to rotate his team before the squad breaks up after Saturday night.
That timing matters. France were set to finish the World Cup and then disband as a group, with some players going on vacation and others traveling to Paris. In that context, the third-place match is as much about one last appearance as it is about the result itself.
Deschamps’ decision also reflects the late-stage nature of the tournament. After a long World Cup run, teams are often forced to balance fatigue, motivation and opportunity. For France, the six changes suggest a chance to reward different players with minutes before the team goes its separate ways.
Even in a match framed as the 3e place game, the lineup still sends a message. France are treating this as the end of the road, and the altered starting eleven shows that Deschamps is preparing for that finish rather than looking for continuity beyond it.
