Deschamps bows out, Mbappe’s silver lining is Golden Boot

Third-place playoffs are often dismissed as anticlimactic, and France, who have won two of their three such fixtures, know the occasion can lack spark.

France are looking to send their long-serving coach off with a win, while England aim to secure a podium finish in the tournament.

But Saturday’s contest has a good reason for them to put up another fight – it marks coach Didier Deschamps’ last game in charge of France.

Deschamps – who lost his mother during the group stage – has been the France coach for 14 years, during which he led them to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2022 final and this year’s semifinal.

At 57, Deschamps has turned Les Bleus into a model of consistency over the past decade; in the current circumstances, a third-place finish would be a fitting end to his esteemed career.

Away from the managerial farewell, there could be more reasons to rejoice within the France camp. Captain and star striker Kylian Mbappe has the opportunity to take home the Golden Boot and match or break the tournament’s all-time scoring record.

Mbappe, the current Golden Boot holder, is second in this year’s race behind Lionel Messi, with both tied on eight goals, and the Argentinian’s four assists keep him ahead of Mbappe with three. The Frenchman is also just one strike behind Messi in matching the record for the most World Cup goals (21).

Should Mbappe beat Messi to the award, the 27-year-old would become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice.

Deschamps' departure marks the end of an era in which France reached three finals in four major tournaments. For Mbappe, the match offers a chance to claim the Golden Boot outright and potentially break the all-time World Cup scoring record, adding personal glory to the team's farewell. The third-place finish, while not the ultimate prize, provides a measure of consolation after a semifinal defeat.