Tuchel Benches Kane and Bellingham for Bronze Final as England Makes 7 Changes

Q: As Deschamps exits and Tuchel faces scrutiny, whose legacy is more at stake in this widely dismissed 'Bronze Final'?

Thomas Tuchel’s is more at stake. Didier Deschamps is coaching his final match for France, but his place in the game is already secure. In 14 years he won the 2018 World Cup, reached the 2022 final and built one of the era’s most consistent national teams. Whether France finish third or fourth in Miami is unlikely to materially change that record. This playoff is more an epilogue to his tenure than a verdict on it, especially with Zinedine Zidane lined up to succeed him. Tuchel, by contrast, is still in the middle of writing his England story and is doing so under pressure. England’s semi-final loss to Argentina intensified criticism of his in-game management, particularly the perception that his side retreated too deep after taking the lead. He has FA backing and a contract through Euro 2028, but that does not remove the scrutiny around whether he can turn England from contenders into winners. That makes even a widely dismissed third-place match meaningful for him. A win would give England their best World Cup finish since 1966 and offer Tuchel a tangible achievement after a painful exit. It would also help steady the mood around a squad carrying injuries, fatigue and disappointment. Another flat performance, or a defeat, would deepen doubts about his tactical judgment and his ability to close the gap on the elite teams he himself says England still trail. For Deschamps, legacy is largely settled. For Tuchel, it is still being tested.

Q: Can Mbappé's Golden Boot chase motivate a team playing a match their own manager called pointless?

Yes — Mbappé’s Golden Boot chase is one of the few clear incentives that can give this match real edge for France, even if the wider occasion feels hollow. The context matters. Didier Deschamps has effectively acknowledged the third-place playoff is a game neither side truly wanted, and Thomas Tuchel said much the same for England. France have also rotated heavily for Deschamps’ final match, which underlines the limited collective stakes after the semifinal loss to Spain. But Mbappé has a concrete target. He starts tied with Lionel Messi on eight World Cup goals in this tournament, with Messi ahead on assists. Because goals in the third-place playoff count toward the Golden Boot, Mbappé has a direct chance to move ahead before Argentina play the final. Deschamps himself has called that a legitimate motivation. That does not automatically solve the team’s motivational problem. A personal award can sharpen one player’s focus, but it does not guarantee full collective intensity from a side making seven changes and playing a match widely viewed as an afterthought. It may even make France more attack-minded around Mbappé rather than fully invested in the result itself. Still, in a fixture that often becomes open and high-scoring, one elite forward chasing a major individual prize can shape the game. Mbappé’s pursuit is unlikely to make the playoff feel meaningful in the way a final would, but it is enough to ensure France have at least one powerful competitive reason to play hard.

3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jul 18

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were left out of England’s starting XI against France, with Thomas Tuchel saying both would be held back to "finish the match" after heavy workloads.
Tuchel cited accumulated minutes, travel, one fewer day of recovery, England’s 10-man semifinal at altitude and extra time in Miami as the reasons for resting his two main attackers.
12 of England’s 14 World Cup goals have come from Kane and Bellingham, leaving Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka to shoulder the attack in the Bronze Final.
Seven lineup changes followed England’s semifinal loss to Argentina, with a half-fit Declan Rice anchoring midfield as Tuchel swung away from the heavily defensive setup criticized after Wednesday’s defeat.
The selection underlined Tuchel’s limited emphasis on the third-place game, which he had earlier called "the match no one wants to play in," despite framing it as England’s best World Cup finish in 60 years.