France and England will have to pick themselves up from crushing World Cup semifinal defeats for Saturday¡¯s third-place game, with Didier Deschamps taking charge of Les Bleus for the final time, and Kylian Mbappe ?chasing individual history in a game likely to feature sweeping changes on both sides.

France¡¯s hopes ?of ?reaching a third successive World Cup final were emphatically ended by Spain ?in a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday, while England suffered its own heartbreak a day later with a 2-1 loss to Argentina.

The Miami match will bring down the curtain on Deschamps¡¯ 14-year reign, ?during which he led France to the 2018 World Cup title, an appearance in the?final four years later and ?three successive World Cup semifinals.

While the 57-year-old had hoped to leave with a second world title as a coach, Saturday offers his players one last opportunity to ?send off the man who established ?France as one of international soccer¡¯s most consistent forces over the past decade.

With both teams physically and emotionally drained after deep runs through ?the expanded 48-team tournament, ?however, the traditional bronze-medal match may feel like an unwanted assignment ?for players who arrived in North America dreaming of lifting the trophy.

¡°None of ?these (English)?players, ?none of the French players want to play this match,¡°?England coach Thomas Tuchel said. ¡°They want to play in the final. We gave everything to be in the final.¡±

France is expected to rotate its starting lineup significantly, giving opportunities to players who have ?featured less during the tournament, while Tuchel could take a similar approach after his side¡¯s exhausting campaign.

There could, however, be one compelling reason for France captain Mbappe to start.

The 27-year-old has scored eight goals at this World Cup and 20 overall, leaving him in contention for the Golden Boot and within ?reach ?of the tournament¡¯s all-time scoring record.

With little collective pressure attached to the ?third-place playoff, the match could offer Mbappe a final opportunity to turn a disappointing end to ?France¡¯s campaign into another landmark moment in a career already defined by the World Cup.

England will have its own disappointment to overcome after coming agonizingly close to Sunday¡¯s final, and Tuchel may also use the game to give minutes to members of his squad ?who have spent much of the tournament on the sidelines.

The stakes may be lower than either team wanted, but for fringe players there will be an opportunity to make a final impression, while for Mbappe and Deschamps there remains something more tangible on the line: history for one and a winning farewell for the other.?