England manager Thomas Tuchel has left Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham out of the starting line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 bronze medal match against France in Miami. The decision was made as part of squad rotation and tactical management after a demanding tournament run, where the two players carried the majority of Englandโs workload, scoring six goals each.ย
Now, Kane and Bellingham are available from the bench and could still feature during the match. Tuchelโs selection decision is aimed at giving opportunities to other members of the squad while managing the workload of key players after Englandโs 2-1 semifinal defeat against Argentina.
Notably, Kane has continued to lead the attack and remains among the tournamentโs leading scorers, while Bellingham has provided goals, creativity and control from midfield. Their absence from the starting XI reduces Englandโs attacking experience but allows players such as Ivan Toney, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford to prove their mettle in the middle.ย
Englandโs changes extend beyond their two biggest stars. Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Reece James and Anthony Gordon, who scored in the semifinal defeat to Argentina, have also been moved to the bench. Declan Rice remains in the starting XI and captains the side. He has been paired with Eberechi Eze at the heart of the midfield.
France also made notable changes
France have also made adjustments for the third-place playoff, with players including Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchouameni and Bradley Barcola not starting as Didier Deschamps manages his squad. Kylian Mbappe, in the meantime, starts for the 2018 champions as he will eye to extend his lead in the golden boot race. Currently, he is tied with Lionel Messi with eight goals each.ย
The bronze match gives both teams an opportunity to finish the World Cup with a victory, but the selection choices underline that the fixture is also being used to assess squad depth and provide playing time to less-used members.
France Playing XI – Mike Maignan; Theo Hernandez, Maxence Lacroix, Ibrahima Konate, Malo Gusto; Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, Desire Doue; Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe
England Playing XI – Dean Henderson, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Ivan Toney
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