Tuchel hopes players will be proud of bronze

England men's football team manager Thomas Tuchel said after Saturday's third-place match that he hopes the players will later be proud of their achievement. England defeated France 6–4, building a 4–0 lead in the first half. However, Tuchel acknowledged the disappointment of missing the final, as the team had set the highest goal 18 months ago: to win the World Cup. Despite criticism of his tactical decisions after the semifinal loss, he considers England’s performance successful and sees this match as a first step in closing the gap with teams like Argentina and France.

French forward Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the third-place match, bringing his tournament total to 10 goals. He became the all-time top scorer in World Cup tournaments with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi (21), who has eight goals in this edition. Mbappé told Fox Sports that he would rather play in the final than hold the record, and praised Messi’s consistent scoring.

France coach Didier Deschamps, who will leave the national team after 14 years following the tournament, said the team was not ready for the first half but improved in the second. He declined to summarize his career now.

The final between Argentina and Spain takes place on Sunday. This is the first World Cup with 48 teams, held in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. Argentina won the 2022 edition in Qatar.