France vs. England: Choose your Three Lions XI for World Cup 2026 third-place playoff

In some sports, a bronze medal is a source of overwhelming pride at the culmination of years of hard graft. For either France or England, it will be the worst kind of consolation at the end of their World Cup 2026 campaigns.

Thomas Tuchel and Didier Deschamps clash in the dugouts on Saturday night as the two losing semi-finalists aim to bow out on the lowest of highs, ruing what could have been after being outclassed by Spain and Argentina in the last four.

Will the two managers go full strength in Miami, or is now the chance to hand minutes to some lesser-used players? The power is in your hands as you choose the England XI for the third-placed playoff - be sure to share with your friends and on socials!

France vs. England: Which players could Thomas Tuchel select?

Only Tuchel and his team know whether the England boss is planning wholesale changes or no alterations at all, as the Three Lions can still achieve their second-best finish at a men's World Cup to date on Saturday.

However, one area where Tuchel has not been afraid to shuffle his resources is in defence, although his hand has been forced on most of those occasions due to injuries, suspensions or the state of the game.

Djed Spence, John Stones, Marc Guehi and Reece James were given the nod in England's semi-final loss to Argentina, but the latter was then taken off with yet another injury - the seriousness of which has still not been ascertained.

James starting the third-place playoff would add to Tuchel's baffling World Cup calls, though, so either Jarell Quansah should return after serving a two-game ban, or Spence could switch to the right flank, allowing Nico O'Reilly to return to the left-hand side.

The time may also be nigh for Tuchel to rest the overworked and recently-recovered Declan Rice, but Jordan Henderson's injury and a reluctance to deploy Kobbie Mainoo - still yet to play a single World Cup minute - throws that scenario into doubt.

Rice's Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka has also endured an underwhelming summer, failing to make the starting lineup for either the quarter-final or semi-final, although the latter decision was vindicated as Morgan Rogers laid on the assist for Anthony Gordon's effort.

Saka and Marcus Rashford are now bidding to return to the wide areas, though, while Eberechi Eze is yet to start a World Cup match but may now come into Tuchel's thinking over Jude Bellingham.

In order to win the World Cup Golden Boot, Harry Kane would need to score a hat-trick and hope that Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi both draw blanks this weekend, and the Bayern Munich talisman is expected to continue over Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney.