France, England prepare for gloomy World Cup send-off

Miami: France and England will bid a gloomy farewell to the World Cup tomorrow when they face each other in the dreaded third-place play-off in Miami.

Both teams head to Florida still raw from semi-final defeats that have left both footballing nations licking wounds, which, in the eyes of many, were largely self-inflicted. lebandit.lat

France, the tournament’s outstanding team en route to the last four, were anonymous in the face of a tactical masterclass by Spain on Tuesday and slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

England added another chapter to their long history of World Cup heartache on Wednesday when they surrendered the initiative and a lead to lose 2-1 to Argentina in Atlanta.

France and England must now attempt to summon the remnants of their competitive will and physical reserves for a game that is widely disliked throughout football.

“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said after his team’s agonising semi-final defeat.

“They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is.

“We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.”

The match will mark a sad footnote to Didier Deschamps’ long reign as France coach.

Deschamps, who, like Tuchel, has faced stinging criticism for the tactical decisions that marked his team’s semi-final defeat, is stepping down as manager after the tournament.

The 57-year-old’s departure ends a successful 14-year spell in charge that included a World Cup triumph in 2018, defeat in the final in Qatar in 2022 and a run to the last four in the current tournament.

“There’s a third-place finish to play for, so we’ll do everything we can to get it,” Deschamps said after France’s semi-final loss.

“We’re not where we wanted or expected to be. The disappointment matches our ambitions, but we have to accept it. We have no other choice.” Yet while it will be scant consolation, the game might well prove pivotal for the World Cup’s Golden Boot race.

France captain Kylian Mbappe is joint top scorer for the tournament alongside Argentina skipper Lionel Messi on eight goals, and will be looking to add to his tally against an unsettled English defence.

England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham -- who are on six goals apiece -- could also enter the running with a big performance at the Hard Rock Stadium.

For England’s all-time record goalscorer Kane, the game may also mark the final World Cup appearance of his career.

The Bayern Munich forward turns 33 this month and it is questionable whether he will be around for the 2030 finals.

Kane declined to speculate on his international future following Wednesday’s defeat.

“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane told reporters.

“I’m taking it year by year and the national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do more than anything.... I never want to put a limit on these things.”

The match is also an opportunity for Mbappe to move into top spot in the all-time World Cup scoring charts. The Real Madrid striker is currently on 20 goals, one behind Messi on 21.

Much may depend on the strength of the lineups fielded by both teams.

Tuchel is expected to rotate his starting side heavily after what has been a gruelling campaign.

An energy-sapping last-16 trip to the thin air of Mexico City and the Estadio Azteca was followed by a brutally hot quarter-final win over Norway in Miami before the shattering defeat to Argentina.

Besiktas have reportedly made an offer to Mohamed Salah, as the Egyptian captain reduced his initial €15 million annual salary demand.

According to reports, Salah’s representatives arrived in Istanbul to continue talks with the Super Lig club.

Besiktas is said to have made its first formal approach to Salah’s camp. According to Turkish journalist Efecan Öztaş, the meeting between the two sides “went positively,” adding that the 34-year-old is “inclined to wearing a jersey in Turkey.”

Earlier reports placed Salah’s initial annual salary demand at €15 million. His wage request represented the main obstacle to a deal. Both sides continued talks to reduce the total cost.

The latest claims contradict comments from Besiktas president Serdal Adalı three days earlier. On July 14, Adalı dismissed the reports linking Salah with the club.

Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, provided an earlier update on Friday. He did not identify any potential destination.

“We still do not know where Mohamed will play next season, but we may know very soon,” Abbas wrote.

Salah most recently represented Egypt at the 2026 World Cup. He recorded one goal and two assists across five appearances.

Egypt reached the round of 16 before losing 3-2 to Argentina. The Pharaohs had taken a two-goal lead against the defending champions.

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Nantes reportedly plan to demote Mostafa Mohamed to the reserves, as the club has already withheld his salary during his prolonged absence.

The Egypt striker has missed every training session since Nantes resumed preparations on June 24.

The club had lost patience with the 28-year-old, according to L’Équipe. Nantes have tried to contact him by telephone and text message, but he only responds intermittently.

“We don’t know where he is,” Nantes coach Michel Der Zakarian said. “We call him, sometimes he doesn’t answer.”

Der Zakarian blamed Mostafa Mohamed for the absence and confirmed that Nantes had stopped paying him. The club also sends the striker a daily letter explaining the salary deduction.

Nantes could assign Mohamed to their reserve team, which competes in National 2. The club may also impose further disciplinary measures.

The striker remains under contract until June 2027, and Nantes have not received an offer for him, nor do they intend to release him without a transfer fee.

The French club paid Galatasaray around €6.5 million for Mohamed in 2023. He had initially joined Nantes on loan one year earlier.

Nantes have not set a reported minimum asking price. His contract has only one year remaining, which limits the club’s negotiating position.

The dispute began after Nantes suffered relegation from Ligue 1 last season, as contract reportedly includes a clause that cuts his wages if Nantes drop into the second division.

The former Zamalek striker endured a difficult 2025/26 campaign. He scored four goals across 24 Ligue 1 appearances as Nantes went down.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan then omitted Mohamed from his World Cup squad. The Pharaohs instead selected 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim alongside Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

The striker has scored 29 goals in 136 appearances for Nantes across all competitions. He has also registered 14 goals in 61 matches for Egypt.

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Australia will face Egypt in the World Cup round of 32 without Mathew Leckie and Jacob Italiano after both were ruled out with injuries.

Australia will be without Mathew Leckie and Jacob Italiano for their World Cup round-of-32 match against Egypt after both players were ruled out of the rest of the tournament through injury.

The Socceroos confirmed that Italiano and Leckie had left the squad and returned to their clubs’ countries to continue rehabilitation.

Italiano suffered an adductor injury in training before Australia’s final Group D match against Paraguay. Leckie sustained a hamstring strain during the 2-0 defeat to the United States.

Both players missed Australia’s 0-0 draw with Paraguay, which secured the Socceroos’ place in the knockout stage.

Italiano had started the Scceroos’ first two group matches at right-back, against Turkey and the United States. Leckie started against the United States and was playing in his fourth World Cup.

Australia head coach Tony Popovic adjusted his lineup against Paraguay, moving Jordan Bos to the right side and starting Aziz Behich at left-back. Behich said after the match that the tactical switch had worked well.

Australia will face Egypt on July 3 after Egypt qualified following a draw with Iran, finishing second in Group G.

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London, United Kingdom: Serena Williams was on Friday drawn to play Australia's Maya Joint in the Wimbledon first round as the American legend returns to singles action after four years.

Williams retired in 2022 but the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made a sensational comeback by playing in the Queen's Club and Berlin Open doubles earlier in June.

The 44-year-old was given a wild card entry in the Wimbledon singles -- a tournament she has won seven times.