Ale Moreno, Shaka Hislop, Mark Ogden and Julien Laurens join Alexis Nunes on ESPN FC to preview the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff between France and England.
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It’s wrong that the stats still count from this game when you’ve already been knocked out of the competition.
05:56 Such a through and through fubar take🤦♀️🤦♂️
The value is that Mbappe and Kane can still score goals for the golden boot race so that Messi could not win it. 😅
So if you are in the closing stretch of a 400m race and you know you’re not gonna win, but bronze is achievable, you’re never gonna stop trying because there’s “no point”.
That’d be terrible attitude.
Think of the fantastic welcome home you’ll get with a bronze.
Who cares, they pussied out, they should have won and been in the finals. The winner of the championship, their opponent in the semifinal should be third place winner. Who wants to see the loser bowl.
Don’t care but in regards of Tuchel this is more important than it would be.
BTW this Alexis is an awful presenter with limited football knowledge. Obviously a DEI tick box by ESPN
On the third‑place play‑off grumbling: There’s been a fair bit of whinging from certain journalists and pundits about France and England’s third‑place play‑off. The world gets it – it’s not the final, and there’s sulking to be done. But let’s take a breath and look at this differently.
First, the tournament structure has been in place for decades and was signed up for by both by entering. Second, this is a celebration, not a consolation. Reaching a World Cup semi‑final is an achievement, there’s bronze medals at stake, so treat it as a chance to play shackles off, like a exhibition game, where skill, smiles, camaraderie and paying tribute to the fans in the stadium and across the world. That’s not a chore; that’s a privilege.
Third, It’s also an opportunity to boost perceptions, reputations, shirt sales and media attention internationally. Grace and dignity is important here. So for the players who’ve given everything, the coaches who’ve worked diligently the thousands of fans who’ve travelled, the millions elsewhere, and the bonds, friendships, fellowship and memories forged along the way all deserve a proper send‑off. Cancelling or sulking through this match would be a disservice to them.
So the world is watching. Some already stereotype certain nations as arrogant or entitled. This is a chance to challenge that, to show grace, humour, and perspective. Confirming that bias is a choice, and one option looks a lot better on the world stage.
So who’s up for putting their big‑boy pants on and enjoying the occasion?