France, England prepare for gloomy World Cup send-off

Miami: France and England will bid a gloomy farewell to the World Cup tomorrow when they face each other in the dreaded third-place play-off in Miami. palladian.co.za

Both teams head to Florida still raw from semi-final defeats that have left both footballing nations licking wounds, which, in the eyes of many, were largely self-inflicted.

France, the tournament’s outstanding team en route to the last four, were anonymous in the face of a tactical masterclass by Spain on Tuesday and slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

England added another chapter to their long history of World Cup heartache on Wednesday when they surrendered the initiative and a lead to lose 2-1 to Argentina in Atlanta.

France and England must now attempt to summon the remnants of their competitive will and physical reserves for a game that is widely disliked throughout football.

“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said after his team’s agonising semi-final defeat.

“They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is.

“We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.”

The match will mark a sad footnote to Didier Deschamps’ long reign as France coach.

Deschamps, who, like Tuchel, has faced stinging criticism for the tactical decisions that marked his team’s semi-final defeat, is stepping down as manager after the tournament.

The 57-year-old’s departure ends a successful 14-year spell in charge that included a World Cup triumph in 2018, defeat in the final in Qatar in 2022 and a run to the last four in the current tournament.

“There’s a third-place finish to play for, so we’ll do everything we can to get it,” Deschamps said after France’s semi-final loss.

“We’re not where we wanted or expected to be. The disappointment matches our ambitions, but we have to accept it. We have no other choice.” Yet while it will be scant consolation, the game might well prove pivotal for the World Cup’s Golden Boot race.

France captain Kylian Mbappe is joint top scorer for the tournament alongside Argentina skipper Lionel Messi on eight goals, and will be looking to add to his tally against an unsettled English defence.

England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham -- who are on six goals apiece -- could also enter the running with a big performance at the Hard Rock Stadium.

For England’s all-time record goalscorer Kane, the game may also mark the final World Cup appearance of his career.

The Bayern Munich forward turns 33 this month and it is questionable whether he will be around for the 2030 finals.

Kane declined to speculate on his international future following Wednesday’s defeat.

“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane told reporters.

“I’m taking it year by year and the national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do more than anything.... I never want to put a limit on these things.”

The match is also an opportunity for Mbappe to move into top spot in the all-time World Cup scoring charts. The Real Madrid striker is currently on 20 goals, one behind Messi on 21.

Much may depend on the strength of the lineups fielded by both teams.

Tuchel is expected to rotate his starting side heavily after what has been a gruelling campaign.

An energy-sapping last-16 trip to the thin air of Mexico City and the Estadio Azteca was followed by a brutally hot quarter-final win over Norway in Miami before the shattering defeat to Argentina.

Philadelphia, United States: France needed a second-half Kylian Mbappe penalty to break down a stubborn Paraguay side on Saturday, winning a niggly World Cup last-16 clash 1-0 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Morocco.

Paraguay's efforts to get under the skin of France's superstars worked for three quarters of a game played in front of 68,324 fans in Philadelphia in heatwave conditions.

However, the quality in the French ranks eventually shone through, with Mbappe converting from the spot on 70 minutes after Desire Doue was brought down.

This was not an attacking masterclass by the French like they had produced in their previous games, but Paraguay did not allow them to play that way.

It was very much a mismatch, though, with Les Bleus having almost all of the ball and Paraguay not managing a shot on target until the 90th minute.

Mbappe's brilliant World Cup on a personal level continued as he rejoined Lionel Messi as the tournament's joint-top scorer with seven goals.

The Real Madrid striker now has 19 World Cup goals in total -- from 19 appearances -- meaning he is just one behind Messi's overall record of 20.

Didier Deschamps' team will now return to their Boston base to prepare for a last-eight clash in nearby Foxborough next Thursday against the Moroccans, who beat Canada 3-0 earlier.

It was a sweltering day in Philadelphia, with temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) and extreme weather warnings in place in case of storms.

France's last visit to Lincoln Financial Field, during the group phase, was affected by storms, as rain and thunder led to a two-hour delay during their 3-0 win over Iraq.

July 4 celebrations

This time there were no interruptions to a game played on the 250th anniversary of US independence, and in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

A pre-match concert on the pitch featured a rendition of the US national anthem by the actress Idina Menzel, a performance by hip-hop band The Roots, and a US Air Force flyover.

A fireworks display in the city to mark July 4 was not due to take place until later, and the anticipated French pyrotechnics on the pitch were contained for long spells by the Paraguayans.

Ranked 41st in the world, Paraguay had ousted Germany on penalties in the last round and were aiming to claim another huge scalp here.

They played with a back five, defended with a low block, and were quite happy to live up to some South American stereotypes with a cynical approach at times.

That led to Mbappe's frustrations getting the better of him as he got involved in a shoving match with Andres Cubas. Moments later, Matias Galarza had a little lash out at the France captain off the ball.

France had practically all of the ball but struggled to do anything with it, being restricted to shots from long range.

Manu Kone had one attempt deflected just wide midway through the first half and another tipped over by Orlando Gill not long after the restart.

Paraguay's attempts to frustrate France were working, but the dark arts would only get them so far.

While Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele were struggling to influence the game, Deschamps opted to remove Bradley Barcola and put Doue on the left wing in his place.

That was just after the hour mark, and Doue quickly made an impact.

When he attempted to dribble his way through a sea of Paraguayan defenders, he went down under contact from Diego Gomez. The foul was clear and the Uzbek referee pointed to the spot after a review.

Dembele protected the penalty spot as several Paraguay players tried to rough it up. Mbappe then stepped forward and slotted in.

Having won on penalties in the last round, Paraguay's resistance was broken by one this time.

It was not a vintage France performance, but Mbappe almost scored again in stoppage time, and they have taken another step towards their goal.

In 1998 they needed a golden goal to beat Paraguay at the same stage of the competition. And they went on to win that World Cup.

Atlanta: Lautaro Martinez scored a 92nd minute winner as Lionel Messi inspired World Cup holders Argentina to a stunning comeback to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday and set up a final with European champions Spain.

England had been on course to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead 10 minutes after half-time in the semi-final in front of 68,239 fans in Atlanta.

But the great rivalry between these nations has produced several memorable contests on the World Cup stage down the years and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.

Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an 85th-minute equaliser and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.

It was maybe not quite up there with Diego Maradona's legendary display in putting England to the sword in 1986, but the goals this time brought Argentina back from the dead and kept alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups.

No team has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962, and now Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals.

The game will take place at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday in New Jersey, as the first 48-team World Cup boils down to a controntation between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.

Messi had waited until the age of 39 to get the chance to play against England, and now he will face Spain for the first time in a competitive game.

His career appeared to be complete when he dragged Argentina to glory in 2022 in Qatar, but he is clearly not done yet.

England, though, will have huge regrets as they head to Miami to play France in Saturday's third-place play-off, a game neither team will want to contest.

The prospect of a first World Cup final appearance since their sole triumph 60 years ago was a momentous one, and they were so close, but will live to regret sitting back after Gordon's opener.

The key men for Thomas Tuchel's side during this campaign have been Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, yet they failed to deliver on this occasion, and England's players slumped to the turf at full time.

Lautaro winner

Given the deep-rooted rivalry between these nations, this was always likely to be a game with an edge and there was a tangible feeling of tension in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Argentina's players were clearly fired up, partly by a determination to hold onto their World Cup crown but also by a sense of what this fixture means.

That translated into a niggly contest pockmarked by fouls in the first half, including Elliot Anderson being booked for scything down Messi.

There were no real chances to speak of in the first half, but England struck in the 55th minute.

Kane was involved in the build-up as the ball eventually came to Morgan Rogers on the right, and he whipped in a low cross towards the back post where Gordon stole in front of Nahuel Molina to score.

But this was the stadium where Argentina produced a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt in the last 16, and they were not done.

They threw everything at their opponents, as Jordan Pickford made a great save from a Nico Gonzalez header, and Alexis Mac Allister was then denied by the post in the 76th minute.

Fernandez was denied from range by Pickford, but moments later he equalised, controlling a Messi pass on the edge of the area and letting fly past the goalkeeper.

Argentina smelled blood, and Mac Allister again hit the post before England failed to clear and Lautaro Martinez headed in the winner from an exquisite Messi cross to spark chaotic scenes of celebration and leave England completely deflated.

Ismaily have reportedly reached an agreement to sell Egyptian prospect Ibrahim El-Nagaawy to Czech champions Slavia Prague for $350,000.

Slavia Prague and Ismaily are said to have finalized the transfer after several months of negotiations, although the two clubs have yet to announce the deal officially.

The final package is reportedly worth $350,000. However, earlier this year, in February, Slavia had offered a $325,000 fixed fee and a 10% sell-on clause. Ismaily also sought bonuses linked to the youngster’s promotion to Slavia’s first team and his goalscoring record.

Czech outlets had followed Slavia’s pursuit since December. Reporting at the time said that the club offered around $350,000, while Ismaily requested $400,000. The player had also been photographed in Prague before the negotiations advanced.

El-Nagaawy, who turns 18 on August 23, is an Ismaily academy graduate and a versatile player. He has operated as a right winger and wing-back.

Slavia will enter the 2026/27 season as defending Czech champions after securing a second successive league title and the 23rd domestic championship in their history.

The Prague club are also due to compete in the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League.

The post Ismaily Agree Ibrahim El-Nagaawy Transfer to Slavia Prague appeared first on KingFut.