England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane will start on the bench for the World Cup third-place playoff against France.
Tuchel cited the physical toll of the tournament as the reason for the decision. He pointed to extensive travel, a reduced recovery period, and a previous match played with ten men at altitude and in overtime.
"These two guys gave everything physically in every match," Tuchel said. "They were ready to go again, but we keep them to finish the match for us."
Ivan Toney will lead the England attack in the decider. The lineup includes Dean Henderson, Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, and Spence at the back, with Rice and Eze in midfield, and Saka, Rogers, Rashford, and Toney in front.
France will field Maignan in goal, with a defense of T. Hernández, Lacroix, Konaté, and Gusto. Their midfield features Rabiot, Zaïre-Emery, and Doué, supporting Cherki, Olise, and Mbappé.
Tuchel views the match as an opportunity to close the gap on France, whom he described as pre-tournament favorites. France won the World Cup eight years ago and reached the final four years ago.
"We have the chance to have the best World Cup finish in 60 years," Tuchel said. "It's a big one to play, even if it doesn't feel like it."
He noted France's consistent elite form but emphasized England now shares the same stage. The goal is to reduce the perceived gap between England and the top teams.
In the Golden Boot race, Lionel Messi leads with eight goals and four assists, followed by Kylian Mbappé with eight goals and three assists. Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals.
Bellingham and Kane both have six goals and one assist, while Ousmane Dembélé and Mikel Oyarzabal trail with five goals each.
