France defender Jules Kounde has expressed his frustration with the World Cup third-place playoff, insisting the match 'shouldn't even be played' after England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling contest on Saturday in Miami. The match followed semi-final defeats for both nations, with France losing 2-0 to Spain and England falling 2-1 to Argentina.
England's dominant first half
England raced to a 4-0 lead at half-time, with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a brace from Bukayo Saka. France, appearing a shadow of their earlier tournament form, struggled to contain the Three Lions' attack. However, in what was Didier Deschamps' final match as France manager, the team showed significant improvement after the break.
France's second-half fightback
Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and Bradley Barcola added another, pulling France within one goal of England. But Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to ease England's fears of a monumental collapse. The drama continued as Ousmane Dembele scored in injury time, before Jude Bellingham sealed the 6-4 victory with a brilliant solo goal.
Kounde's criticism of the playoff
Kounde, who only entered the match in stoppage time, voiced his discontent with the fixture. 'We had a very, very bad first half for several reasons,' the Barcelona defender said, via L'Equipe. 'In the second half, we were much more up to the task of wearing the blue jersey. It wasn't enough, even though we had a lot of chances in the second half. We're all disappointed to finish with a second defeat and not to have been able to give the coach a win.'
He elaborated on the difficulty of the third-place match: 'My biggest regret is not reaching the final; it's a tough match to play. Personally, I think it's a match that shouldn't even be played, because it's incredibly difficult as a competitor to play it after having prepared for a single goal: the final. That said, we owe it to ourselves to do better. Overall, we left a positive impression, and people enjoyed watching us play, but finishing like this leaves a bitter taste.'
Deschamps' emotional farewell
Deschamps, who had been in charge of France since 2012, stepped down after the World Cup. He leaves with an impressive legacy, having won the 2018 World Cup, reached the final in 2022, and the European Championship final in 2016. Kounde described the manager's final words to the team: 'It was difficult; he was emotional for his last one. He expressed his gratitude for the years spent together, for this competition, and for everything we gave, even if we didn't do everything perfectly. In terms of team spirit, it was very positive, and we gave the French fans a lot of joy. That's also what's important.'
