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If there was any uncertainty about how much Thomas Tuchel values finishing third at the 2026 World Cup, his choice to bench Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham for Saturday's match against France made it crystal clear.
Heading into the newly-branded Bronze Final, England's head coach put on an unconvincing show of caring about the result. "It's an opportunity to achieve our best finish in 60 years," Tuchel argued. "It's a significant match against one of the top sides in the world."
That hollow stance was hard to take seriously, given that immediately following England's semifinal loss to Argentina, Tuchel himself had described the third-place playoff as "the match no one wants to play in."
While the Three Lions were still competing in the meaningful stages of the tournament, Tuchel had laid out his most fundamental attacking approach. "The attacking formula is simple," he explained. "I put Harry and Jude together—and they will do the rest."
Now the remainder of the squad must compensate for the absence of two players who have accounted for 12 of England's 14 World Cup goals this summer.
England's Confirmed Lineup vs. France
Starting XI (4-1-2-3): Dean Henderson (GK); Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, Djed Spence; Declan Rice; Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze; Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford.
Substitutes: Jordan Pickford (GK), James Trafford (GK), Nico O'Reilly, John Stones, Trevoh Chalobah, Dan Burn, Reece James, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke.
Tuchel Defies Critics With Starting XI of Extremes
Tuchel has endured three days of relentless criticism from the notoriously harsh English media. His decision to switch to a back-five and introduce six defenders in the second half of Wednesday's semifinal was savaged as an act of outright cowardice. The narrative briefly shifted from Tuchel's tactical choices toward the players' own actions, before the finger of blame swung firmly back in his direction.
"If people want to play the blame game, fine, we can do that," Tuchel said sharply. "But I have every right to not take part."
This lineup is his way of responding.
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After retreating deep inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with every white shirt defending desperately like sailors clinging to a sinking vessel, the German coach has swung to the complete opposite end of the spectrum. A less-than-fully-fit Declan Rice has been tasked as the sole defensive-minded midfielder, operating behind Eberechi Eze and Chelsea-bound Morgan Rogers.
The wide duo of Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford have been handed starts after sitting out the semifinal, while Ivan Toney—Tuchel's prized "specialist" whose inclusion sparked considerable controversy—has been preferred over Ollie Watkins, a player many supporters have loudly demanded.