England will field Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice in the World Cup third‑place match against France.
Saka has been managing an Achilles issue throughout the tournament and missed the semi‑final against Argentina.
Before kickoff the manager confirmed there are no fitness concerns for either player, noting Rice is regaining full fitness and Saka is ready despite his semi‑final absence.
England’s starting lineup consists of D. Henderson; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Eze; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; and Toney. The bench includes Pickford, O’Reilly, Stones, Anderson, Kane, Bellingham, Chalobah, J. Henderson, Burn, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Trafford and James.
France’s starting eleven features Maignan; T. Hernández, Lacroix, Konate, Gusto; Rabiot, Zaïre‑Emery, Doue; and Cherki, Olise, Mbappé. Their substitutes are Akliouche, Barcola, Dembele, Digne, L. Hernandez, Kante, Kone, Kounde, Mateta, Risser, Saliba, Samba, Tchouameni, Thuram and Upamecano.
The manager explained the decision to keep Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on the bench despite their Golden Boot prospects, citing cumulative fatigue from travel, altitude and limited recovery after the Miami overtime.
He added that preserving them for a potential later role allows them to finish the match if needed, prioritising overall squad stamina.
Current Golden Boot standings show Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé tied on eight goals, Erling Haaland with seven, and both Bellingham and Kane with six each, followed by Ousmane Dembele and Mikel Oyarzabal.
The match is presented as an opportunity for England to narrow the gap with a team regarded as the tournament favorite, emphasizing France’s recent successes and the importance of a third‑place finish.
With France entering the semi‑final as top favorites, their defeat opens a chance for England to compete on the same stage and aim for a historic result.
