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'No one wants to play the third place playoff': Tuchel

Published : Thursday, 16 July, 2026 at 8:23 PM

Observer Online Report

England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that neither his players nor France's are motivated to play the FIFA World Cup third-place playoff after seeing their dreams of reaching the final come to an end.

Following England's heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina, the Three Lions will now face France in Saturday's third-place playoff. Tuchel described the fixture as an "unwanted obligation" for players who had invested everything in pursuit of a place in the final.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference in Miami, Tuchel said his squad faces a difficult mental challenge after falling short in the semi-finals.

"None of our players want to play this match, and I don't think France's players do either. Everyone wanted to play in the final. We gave everything to achieve that goal, but the reality is that we now have to play this game," Tuchel said.

The England boss also pointed out that his side had one day less to recover than France but insisted they would approach the match professionally.

"We have had one day less to rest than France, but we will still play the match with professionalism," he added.

England suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final in Atlanta despite taking the lead through Anthony Gordon. Argentina turned the game around with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez to book their place in the final.

Despite the disappointment, Tuchel praised his team's overall campaign, describing a place in the semi-finals as a significant achievement.

"We have to wait another four years for the next World Cup, so reaching the semi-finals is a major achievement. Many of the world's top football nations were eliminated earlier in the tournament," he said.

"But at this moment, nobody wants to hear that neither do I because we expected more from ourselves."

England and France will meet in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday at 3:00 am (local schedule as provided).

-HIS

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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