France's players are set to face England in the World Cup third-place match, with coach Didier Deschamps insisting that the game is not a friendly and that his team must secure a victory in their final fixture.
Deschamps has reportedly refused requests from his players to impose a midnight curfew, as he does not want to end the tournament with back-to-back defeats.
The match will also mark the end of Deschamps' 14-year stint as France head coach, and he has stressed the importance of securing a victory in his final game with the team.
England's manager Thomas Tuchel has said that his team does not care about the result of the match, and that they are more focused on the fact that they have been eliminated from the World Cup.
Tuchel said, "None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match, 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."
Deschamps has also spoken about the disappointment of missing out on a place in the World Cup final, but has stressed that his team must focus on securing a victory in the third-place match.
"The disappointment is commensurate with our ambitions, even if we also have to be factual, we have to accept it, there's no other choice," Deschamps said.
"But we came up against a very good Spanish team who raised their game. Was it them, or were we simply a little below par? We didn't achieve the result we wanted, the result we expected, the result we aimed for."
Deschamps has emphasized the importance of his team's duty towards themselves, the jersey, and the fans, and has urged his players to focus on securing a victory in the third-place match.
