Didier Deschamps bids farewell with a spectacular performance after 14 years as France’s national team coach. Thomas Tuchel leads England to a 6-4 victory and the bronze medal. Here’s an overview of international press reactions to the World Cup third-place match:
ENGLAND
The Sun: “Sak-re Bleu. The Three Lions win the craziest World Cup match of all time in a ten-goal thriller and secure their best finish since 1966.”
The Guardian: “Saka’s hat trick seals England’s 6-4 victory over France in an epic World Cup third-place match.”
Daily Mail: “England takes bronze. The Three Lions win a ten-goal spectacle in Miami; Jude Bellingham scores the winning goal in the final seconds of a wild match.”
The Mirror: “England swept France off the field in the World Cup match nobody wanted to play.”
The Telegraph: “It was the perfect opportunity to see if Tuchel had learned from the defeat in Atlanta. This time, England finished the match with just as many attackers as defenders on the field. They barely scraped by to take third place. A small step forward.”
FRANCE
L’Equipe: “A fireworks display to close things out. What was intended as a tribute to Didier Deschamps after 14 years turned into one of the craziest games of his tenure. In his 185th and final game as national team coach, he experienced by far the worst first half of his career. Although his team mounted a comeback, they were unable to turn the precarious situation around.”
Le Figaro: “First the humiliation, then the revolt… but the Equipe Tricolore lost Deschamps’ final match. Ten goals, a spectacular game, a completely crazy scenario, broken records, and two teams locked in a bitter battle.”
Le Parisien: “After one last breathtaking game, Les Bleus are packing their bags full of regret. On this Saturday evening in Florida, the French team couldn’t survive an apocalyptic first half. But their second half—which will be remembered—is far more fitting for Didier Deschamps’ final game.”
