France face England for World Cup third place as Koné set for bench role
Match Report·18 July 2026·1d ago

France face England for World Cup third place as Koné set for bench role

Source: Forza Roma

France and England will contest the FIFA World Cup third-place play-off this evening at 23:00 Italian time at Miami Stadium. Both sides were eliminated in the semi-finals — France by Spain and England by Argentina — and will battle for a consolation finish in the 2026 tournament's closing fixture in America.

Roma midfielder Manu Koné will start on the bench for France, according to reports. Despite an impressive display in the quarter-final against Morocco, Koné was left out of the starting XI for France's semi-final loss to Spain in favour of Tchoumeni. He is expected to remain unused from the off against England, with Kanté and Zaire-Emery forming France's central midfield pairing under head coach Deschamps. England manager Tuchel is also planning significant squad rotation for the match.

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Roma midfielder Manu Koné was left on the bench as France faced England in a World Cup third-place play-off in Miami. Both outlets confirm Koné started among the substitutes despite an impressive earlier performance in the tournament. Il Romanista reports that England defeated France 6–4 in a dramatic semi-final, with Jude Bellingham scoring the decisive goal in the 97th minute, while Forza Roma indicates France lost to Spain in the semi-finals and faced England in the third-place match. The outlets differ on the final score and opponent sequence. Both confirm that manager Didier Deschamps opted for alternatives in midfield, with Il Romanista naming Cherki, Zaire-Emery and Rabiot in the starting XI, while Forza Roma mentions Kanté and Zaire-Emery as the central midfield pairing. Il Romanista notes this was Deschamps' final match as France head coach. Spain and Argentina contested the tournament final.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Questa sera, alle 23 italiane, Francia e Inghilterra si affronteranno al Miami Stadium per conquistare il terzo posto nell’edizione 2026 del Mondiale FIFA. Le grandi deluse della rassegna iridata, sconfitte in semifinale rispettivamente da Spagna e Argentina, si sfideranno per la ‘finalina’ che…

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

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