On the field in Miami on 18/7, France made seven changes to their starting lineup compared to the semi-final loss against Spain. The entire back four was replaced, with Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, and Theo Hernandez featuring, while attacking duo Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola were benched.

The extensive changes disrupted France's cohesion, allowing England to score four goals in the first half, including a brace from Bukayo Saka, along with goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa. "It was an unusual match day. Winning the bronze medal would have been better, but that didn't happen after a terrible first half", Deschamps commented. "The loss to Spain might still be haunting the players. We rotated the squad to give opportunities to those who played less, but I couldn't have imagined it would be this difficult".

Coach Deschamps (center) speaks with Adrien Rabiot (14), Theo Hernandez (19), and Ibrahima Konate (15) during France's 4-6 loss to England in the World Cup 2026 bronze medal match in Miami, US on 18/7/2026. Photo: AP

Midfielder Adrien Rabiot also described the first half as "shameful", criticizing the attitude of some teammates. He admitted still being disappointed about missing the final, but insisted everyone should have given their all until the very end of the tournament instead of playing carelessly.

"I witnessed actions from some teammates that I had never seen before and found unacceptable", the midfielder born in 1995 said. "We spoke during halftime, telling ourselves we needed to show pride to improve in the second half".

Jules Kounde also attributed the poor performance to various reasons, suggesting that the bronze medal match should not have been played. "We felt very disheartened after failing our sole objective of reaching the final", the Barcelona right-back stated.

In response to his players' reactions, Deschamps did not escalate conflicts or criticize them. He took responsibility for his personnel choices, stating that if regulations had allowed, he would have made eight substitutions after the first half. Ultimately, Deschamps brought on Dembele, Lucas Digne, Barcola, and Dayot Upamecano to replace Rayan Cherki, Hernandez, Desire Doue, and Konate in the second half.

Mbappe narrowed the score to 3-4 for France against England.

France subsequently regained their attacking prowess. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, interspersed with a goal from Barcola, to reduce the deficit to 3-4. They could have mounted a comeback if Olise had not missed clear opportunities in the 75th and 81st minutes. France then conceded two more goals late in the match, with Saka completing a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham scoring his seventh goal of the tournament. Dembele's goal further narrowed the score.

French daily L’Equipe reported that Olise cried in the changing room after the match, blaming himself for missing crucial chances. Deschamps did not specify the reasons but expressed emotion, stating he had spoken with the forward born in 2001, who recorded seven assists at World Cup 2026, a record according to Opta statistics since 1966.

The final 4-6 defeat meant France could not have a graceful exit from the North American tournament. This also marked France's last match under Deschamps. Since taking charge in 2012, the coach born in 1968 led the team in a total of 181 matches, including four World Cups and three Euros. He guided France to victory in the 2018 World Cup and three consecutive semi-final appearances – an achievement only Germany and Brazil have matched.

French national team coach Didier Deschamps (right) speaks with Michael Olise (left) during France's 4-6 loss to England in the World Cup 2026 bronze medal match in Miami, US on 18/7/2026. Photo: AP

The French players expressed regret at not being able to give Deschamps a better farewell. Rabiot stated that Deschamps was the architect who revitalized the French national team, while Tchouameni affirmed that his coach embodied victory. "We will always remember his elegant demeanor and how he delighted the French people", he said.

Upon his departure, the 58-year-old coach expressed confidence that France is ready to maintain its peak performance. He wished his successor the best and would become a quiet supporter. For now, Deschamps plans to go on vacation with his family. "I will take care of my family. I need to recover because I have expended a lot of energy", Deschamps said.

Trung Thu compiled