World Cup live updates: France vs. England lineups, preview for third-place game

“Today is your last dance.

You who gave us so much. We should have offered you a better ending, but we failed. Putting words to what you brought over 14 years is very difficult, so major an actor were you in the revival of this team. People haven't always known how to appreciate your greatness, but time and history will take care of that…

Thank you for giving me the chance and opportunity to represent my country on the biggest stage for so many years. I feel privileged to have been able to stand alongside one of the greatest legends of our country, and I hold only excellent memories of everything we lived through and accomplished together. I wish you the best in your new adventure, and thank you again for everything you brought to this jersey that means so much to us.

👑”

Angled properly, a third-place game — or match, if you prefer — is a way for a beaten-down squad to salvage some measure of pride. You think England supporters won't take a bit of grim satisfaction at beating France on Saturday, and vice versa? A podium finish can't compare to a World Cup final berth, but hey, it's better than finishing fourth, right?

So hear me out: third-place games for the losers of, say, the NFL's conference championship games and the College Football Playoff's semifinals. (This year, that would've been Rams-Broncos and Oregon-Ole Miss, for the record.) Play the game in the home stadium of the higher-ranked team, put some actual stakes on the line — FIFA gives an extra $2 million and ranking points to the winner of the third-place game, and all stats count — and turn 'em loose for one more go.

Read more here from Yahoo Sports.

Once again, England fans, it's not "coming home."

Well not yet, anyway …

England was defeated 2-1 by Lionel Messi's Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta, registering yet another semifinal loss in the World Cup knockout rounds for the "Three Lions," following on from similar exits in 1990 and 2018.

England's 60 years (and counting) of hurt have been littered with painful World Cup exits, but where does this latest addition slot in on the pain-o-meter?

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

Read more from Yahoo Sports here.

Didier Deschamps said he will make changes to France’s starting XI and that Kylian Mbappé will be available for Saturday’s World Cup third-place match against England.

Mbappé is chasing the Golden Boot and enters Saturday tied for the lead with Argentina’s Lionel Messi with eight goals. Messi currently owns the tiebreaker with one more assist than Mbappé.

"Whether they play or not, I have the duty as a head coach to do everything I can to reach tomorrow's objective," said Deschamps, who will be managing his final game in charge of France. "I hope that we do, and we must display all the efforts to do so.

"It is one game. I have some keys in my possessions. Some players might play, others due to personal reasons will want to play. "I do not want to betray any discussions I had with the players. I do not have all the elements but, yes, I will substitute some players."

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