Hello and welcome to Day 38 of the ongoing World Cup.There is an interesting scene inside Yes, Minister when the Right Hoodwinked, sorry, Honorable Jim Hacker asks if nuclear weapons are really necessary. Indeed, if push comes to shove, can the United States protect Britain from Russia?A distraught Sir Humphrey Appleby declares that Hacker should resign if he has a dissenting opinion, before declaring that Britain’s nuclear weapons are not designed to protect against Russia.They are designed to protect France.When the LSE-educated Hacker explains that the French are allies, a frustrated Sir Humphrey explains: “They are now, but they have been our enemies for 900 years. If they have the bomb, we must have the bomb!”Whatever Sir Humphrey’s faults, an Oxford educated man knew his history. The modern Anglo-French conflict began when William the Conqueror crossed the Channel in 1066, defeating Harold Godwinson at Hastings and installing a French-speaking Norman governing body.A lot of water has flown under the proverbial bridge, or through the Canal, since then. England and France now meet in the last place they want to be: a The third World Cup.
France vs England | Sunday, July 19, 2.30am IST | Miami Stadium
The games in the third place are the football equivalent of being asked to take pictures after being left at the altar. England thought he was coming home. France thought the Dictator untouchable and beyond reproach. Both were given a rigorous football education by the great heirs of Cruyff’s legacy.Now, when the world goes “aww” at a 19 year old photo of Messi and YamalFrance and England must play for the consolation prize that Ibrahima Konaté called the “chocolate medal”.
France’s Ibrahima Konate listens during a press conference before their third World Cup match against England, in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The world is his uncle, plus Trump, the avuncular leader of the free world no one askedThey have already tested Tuchel’s changes and methods. However, the game has more than one damaged ego. Tuchel wants to show that England can mix with the big teams. France wants to say or revoir for Didier Deschamps after a 14-year rule which provided the 2018 World Cup, the 2022 World Cup final, the 2021 Nations League and the 2016 European Championship.Then again, this is still a World Cup game. Messrs Mbappé, Kane and Bellingham can add to their tally with challenge for the Golden Shoe. Mbappé may also become the top scorer in World Cup history. Two goals would have seen him surpass Messi’s current record of 21, at least until the final. No one wanted to come to the party. Now that he is here, someone can dance.Military watchKylian Mbappé: One last act for the DictatorThe Dictator enters the game level with Messi on eight goals. He also has 20 World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s record of 21.Whether Deschamps will start him is unclear, although the French manager has confirmed that his captain is available. Mbappé has an incentive that no one else has: he can use the tournament’s most disappointing performance to claim one of its most prestigious awards.
Jude Bellingham: England’s calm boxBellingham was in a lot of trouble after the semi-final, seen beating Argentine substitute ValentÃn Barco.They can use this tool to make motivational points and get bragging rights in Real Madrid Mbappé’s team. Bellingham and Kane have six goals each, meaning they are both within striking distance of the Golden Boot.Military policySpain showed the whole world how to beat this French team by locking up their talent in the isolated Chakravyuh, cutting them off from the rest of the side. England must avoid sitting deep as this would allow Mbappé, Olise and Doué to have fun. A better plan would be to force a modified French defense, use Rogers between the lines and attack the position behind Theo Hernández. Saka can push back down the French left, while Bellingham’s delay can take advantage of the opportunities created as the French forwards move to the ball.England must also avoid turning the game into a race. If the possession of hands changes again and again, France has a quick and deep group of attackers.
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino speak during a reception at Trump Tower in New York, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
France will immediately target England who are not well known at the back. If Quansah plays on the right and O’Reilly on the left, Mbappé and Doué will try to isolate them and force England’s midfielders to defend. This will leave Cherki or Olise with a space between the lines. Deschamps can also release his attackers from the warning that explained the defeat to Spain. The copper finish remains open because the fear of removal is over. This is in line with the French movement that was built around one person.Position to choose: England’s right against France’s leftSaka against Theo Hernández could make the game. If Saka forces Hernández to the back, France will lose one of their most important attacking positions. If Hernández can make the leap and create a two-on-one situation alongside Mbappé or Doué, England’s right-back can stay overnight and return to his goal.Supervising supervisorThis will be Deschamps’ 187th game and his last as France manager. He took over in 2012 and led them to the finals of Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup title, the 2021 Nations League crown and another World Cup final in 2022.
France head coach Didier Deschamps speaks during a press conference before their third World Cup match against England, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
His football was not universally loved, but France went through many tournaments with a confidence that few nations could match. After a while, Deschamps may wonder if he should have stuck to his self-contained guns instead of seeking universal love. Victory would give him his 122nd victory as a French manager.Tuchel would say that reaching the semi-finals represents progress, but way to get rid of England it has revived the old adage: England bottles up when the going gets tough.They will want to show that this tournament is the start of the Tuchel era and not just another famous Englishman. Victory would also give England their first World Cup finish since 1966.Go to the bottom of the heartFrance and England have they met three times at the World Cup:
- England won 2-0 in the group stage on the way to the title in 1966.
- England won 3-1 in the 1982 group stage, with Bryan Robson scoring after just 27 seconds.
- France won 2-1 in the 2022 quarter-final after Kane converted one penalty but sent another over the bar.
Out in the fieldAs England and France prepare to meet in Miami, reports of the oldest match in their competition have crossed the Channel. The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter-long story about the invasion of William the Conqueror, or what younger generations might call the longest scroll, has returned to England for the first time in nearly a thousand years.
FILE – This photo taken on September 18, 2019 shows the 11th century Bayeux paintings depicting the Norman conquest of England, in Bayeux, Normandy, France. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)
Mangalande and France are brothers who have spent hundreds of years fighting for their inheritance while throwing clothes around. The Norman Conquest created a Cross-Channel ruling class, French being the language of the English court and the so-called civilized classes, if such a thing ever existed. English began to be understood by borrowing from French, including parliament, government, justice, authority and army.Under Henry II, the English crown controlled France more than the French king. The king was a dictator in England and a dictator in France, a plan designed to turn family law into crimes by the sword. The claim of Edward III to the throne of France started the war of a hundred years, when the Auld Alliance of France and Scotland proved that England could be threatened from both sides, sometimes and the next generations would think that Mel Gibson.After 1707, the conflict became Britain versus France and traveled around the world. Their army, navy and trading companies fought from Canada to the Caribbean and India. Britain emerged from the Seven Years’ War with an empire. France retaliated by helping the British colonies in America gain independence, and they spent so much money that their empire ended.The French Revolution then presented Britain with a terrible problem: control and political transmission. Napoleon provided an army, marching across Europe while Britain relied on ships, money and allies. Nelson crushed the military ambitions of France at the Nile and Trafalgar; Waterloo ended Napoleon’s campaign.The rise of Germany made former enemies more united. They fought two world wars, although friendship did not end their suspicions. Charles de Gaulle controlled Free France from London, but Britain also attacked the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir to prevent it from falling into German hands.After 1945, Britain looked to Washington while France pursued freedom of expression no without asking America. De Gaulle twice banned Britain from joining the European Economic Community. Britain joined in 1973 and left in 2020, reopening the old question of whether it belongs in Europe or just stays there.Thirty-four kilometers of water separate them. The Channel has been wide enough to discourage conquerors, but not wide enough to allow escape.Dinner conversationIs finishing third at the World Cup a success? More importantly, is it good to be awake?