France concluded the era of coach Didier Deschamps with a 'humiliating' defeat to England (6-4) in the 2026 World Cup third-place match, according to Catalan newspaper 'Sport', which said the match turned into a 'complete disaster' for 'Les Bleus', after England finished the first half leading by four clean goals 'in a lackluster display that reflected a total disconnection from the competition and a lack of fighting spirit'.

The newspaper added that the match began with a complete French collapse, before Deschamps tried to correct course in the second half after making four changes, and later admitted he wished he could have made eight substitutions.

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'Sport' noted Deschamps describing the match as 'catastrophic', stressing that he would not criticize his players in the media, and wishing that the third-place match had never been held.

For his part, midfielder Adrien Rabiot criticized the team's performance, stressing that some actions in the first half were 'unacceptable', and that the players demanded between the halves to show dignity, which was reflected in the second-half performance.

As for the team captain, Kylian Mbappé, who finished the tournament with 10 goals, acknowledged there were mistakes, but defended the human side of the players, saying: "I can understand those who say we made fools of people, or did not respect the shirt. I am just saying we were human beings."

Mbappé sparked additional controversy after being seen smiling with England coach Thomas Tuchel during the halftime break, while France was trailing by four clean goals, according to the Catalan newspaper.