According to L’Équipe, France players had originally hoped to enjoy a night of free time in Miami, but head coach Didier Deschamps refused to grant permission because the team still have a World Cup third-place playoff against England on Saturday.

France’s World Cup journey is not completely over yet. The squad has already arrived in Miami to prepare for the third-place match against England, which will take place early Sunday morning Beijing time. It is a game that neither team truly wants to play, and England feel the same way.

France are expected to arrive after midnight (Beijing time noon) at FIFA’s designated hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The hotel is located not far from the stadium, but it sits next to a four-lane highway and offers no ocean views when players wake up in the morning. That serves as a reminder that their holiday has not started yet — even though most players have already booked vacation plans, with some choosing destinations within Florida itself.

Before flying from Boston on Thursday, the majority of France’s players hoped to be given a free evening in Miami to relax and mentally recover. Despite their efforts to negotiate, including proposing a midnight curfew, their request was ultimately rejected. Deschamps does not want to end the tournament with two consecutive defeats, nor does he want to finish his tenure as France’s national team manager in such a manner.

Although the squad has not fully shifted their focus toward the match yet, the coaching staff have already begun preparations. They are not entirely convinced by England’s claims that the third-place playoff “does not matter.”

On Thursday morning at their training base in Boston, the players completed an indoor session with fitness coach Cyril Moine and the medical staff. Another final training session will take place on Friday at 17:00 local time, where Deschamps will assess the players’ fitness levels and motivation. A heavily rotated starting lineup is expected.

In the semi-final defeat against Spain, William Saliba was forced off after only 20 minutes due to worsening back pain, and he is certain to miss this match. Brice Samba is also unavailable because of a calf injury, meaning Mike Maignan is likely to continue as the starting goalkeeper.

Although Kylian Mbappé experienced some injury issues the day after the semi-final loss, he is ready to fight for the chance to win the World Cup Golden Boot for a second consecutive tournament.

In defense, Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konaté, and Theo Hernández are strong candidates to start, while the remaining position is expected to be contested between Maxence Lacroix and Lucas Hernández.

The double pivot in midfield is likely to feature Warren Zaïre-Emery alongside N’Golo Kanté, with the latter set to make his first appearance of this World Cup.

In attack, Maghnes Akliouche, Marcus Thuram, and Rayan Cherki could all make their first starts of the tournament, although Deschamps may also decide to give Désiré Doué another opportunity.

France’s final training session in Florida will reveal Deschamps’ intentions. Meanwhile, England have received special permission from FIFA to continue training at their base in Kansas City.