France don't want 'chocolate-medal' match but team want to deliver for departing coach

France are unhappy about having to play a World Cup third-place playoff against England on Saturday in Miami but it is the team's duty to deliver a bronze medal to ​the nation, France coach Didier Deschamps told a press conference on Friday.

The French, world ‌champions in 2018 and finalists four years ago, were one of the main title contenders and were hoping for a third straight final before being knocked out by European champions Spain in the semi-final.

It was their third successive major ​semi-final defeat by Spain, following Euro 2024 and the Nations League, and Saturday's game will ​be the last under the 57-year-old Deschamps, who announced last year that he ⁠would leave when his contract expired after the tournament.

England on Saturday were ousted by Argentina, who staged ​a two-goal Lionel Messi-inspired late comeback to win 2-1.

"I have a duty for this game," Deschamps told ​a press conference in Miami. "It is not a friendly. It is a third-place playoff. The players, staff, and I have the duty to reach this last objective. It is less important than the final. England does not want ​to play this game, and neither do we. But here we are.

"We have to set our ​eyes on that goal to be third and make this final goal a reality. We have this duty ‌when wearing ⁠this jersey. In my head I know that it is my last match. I don't want anybody to cry. The end is near but life goes on."

Deschamps and his players were still digesting their semi-final loss and the coach said he would be making changes to his lineup with ​some players unavailable and ​some injured. He did ⁠not confirm their top scorer and captain Kylian Mbappe would start.

"He is available, that's what I will say," said Deschamps. Mbappe is joint top scorer ​of the tournament on eight goals, along with Argentina's Messi.

France centre back ​Ibrahima Konate ⁠said despite the "bitter pill" of their semi-final loss, the players were eager to give Deschamps a successful farewell.

"None of us wanted to play for this third place but we have no choice," Konate said.

"We ⁠want to ​pay back our coach," he said. "He did so much for ​the France team. We must be grateful to him for that and we need to do everything we can to ​win this game... to get this chocolate medal, this bronze medal."