France face England for bronze after Saliba injury blow

France to face England for third place on Saturday

Spain 2–0 France. Your World Cup ended in the semi-final, not the final, and now there is one match left, the one nobody circled on the calendar. France meet England in the third-place play-off on Saturday at 11pm French time (5) (12). The BBC will broadcast it live (12). England lost their semi-final too, Argentina beating them 2–1 (7).

Mbappé put it plainly: "This defeat is a big disappointment." He said France "did not reach the level" against Spain (7) (8).

Deschamps sidesteps Zidane talk

Didier Deschamps was in no mood to discuss his future. "This is not the time to talk about that," he said after the loss to Spain (7). But behind the scenes the FFF are already preparing Zinedine Zidane's arrival as head coach (2). Deschamps will step down once this tournament is over, and the handover is being lined up.

Saliba could miss 4–5 months after back injury

William Saliba's tournament ended with him in visible pain. Lip-readers caught him saying "my back is gone" during the Spain defeat (4). The injury could keep him out for four to five months, with surgery being considered. For Arsenal and for France, it is a serious blow heading into the new season. Dayot Upamecano and Maxcence LaCroix are the likely options to step in.

Man Utd tracking Manu Kone

France midfielder Manu Kone has drawn interest from Manchester United (1). David Ornstein confirmed the club are monitoring the 23-year-old, who is valued around £43m. Kone has been part of the France setup at this World Cup and could be on the move this summer.

Mbappé hints at MLS future

Kylian Mbappé was asked about Inter Miami and did not shut the door. "We will see, I don't know. The American culture is different. There are no limits to ambitions, I like it," he said (8). David Beckham's club and the pull of playing where Lionel Messi did may be in his thinking down the line.

Player frustration after Spain loss

France's squad were left angry after the semi-final, at their own performance and at the refereeing (10). Pedro Porro scored the decisive goal that sent Spain through to the final (3). Three straight finals was the dream. Instead, it is a match for bronze.

Fan-reaktioner

Arsenal fans on Reddit are reeling from the Saliba news. The lip-read footage sent fear through the thread the moment it surfaced. Most agree four to five months is a brutal timeline, and there is already anxiety about what Arsenal's backline looks like without him. Read the full thread