Disappointed France and England meet for third place in the World Cup

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — France and England agree on this: Neither team wanted to be playing on Saturday.

France was a favorite to win the World Cup. England was close to ending a decades-long wait for its first World Cup title since 1966.

Both fell one match short of their ultimate goals after losses in the semifinals. And instead of playing in Sunday's final — that game will be between Argentina and Spain — England and France will face each other in a consolation match for third place.

“None of us wanted to play in this game for third place,” France defender Ibrahima Konate said Friday. “But we don't have a choice to play. France and England have a big story together. And yeah, we are looking forward for the game tomorrow, and let's see what will happen.”

Though the match will provide little more than moral victories, it may give Thomas Tuchel a chance to regain favor after the England coach faced widespread criticism about his tactical choices in the Three Lions' semifinal loss to Argentina.

“Nobody wants to be, tomorrow, in this game,” Tuchel said Friday evening. “All of these four teams wanted to be in New York (at the final). But it is an official World Cup game. It's a chance to have the best result in 60 years for England. Mentality is not something that you switch on and switch off as you like it. It is a moment to show that we are actually made of what we showed through the whole tournament.”

France star Kylian Mbappé also still has a chance to win the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's leading scorer.

Mbappé has eight goals, tied with Argentina's Lionel Messi for the tournament lead. Messi has an edge in the tiebreaker with four assists to Mbappé's three. England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are also in the mix with six goals each.

France coach Didier Deschamps said Mbappé is available for Saturday's match — the star participated in France's training session Friday in Fort Lauderdale — but added he will make changes to his regular lineup. Tuchel said there will also be changes to England's lineup.

“We do have a match for the third place playoff, and there's a duty,” Deschamps said. “We have duties. I have duties, my staff has duties and so do the players. We have a responsibility to wear this jersey for all the French people who are cheering for us.”

It will also be the final game for Deschamps as France's coach after 14 years leading the squad. Konate said the French players want to “pay back our head coach” with one last win.

“He carried many French players,” Konate said. “We had some disappointing moments, but he brought a lot of joy.”

France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final to Argentina on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically on Tuesday, when the offensive firepower of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise was neutralized by the stout Spanish defense.

Deschamps won one major trophy — albeit the biggest of all — having lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.

“I know it will be the last match and I also know that the French national team will be missed,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege for 15 years to be up here with this jersey, to experience magnificent moments, more difficult moments. The French national team is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me in my professional career.”

For England, which reached the World Cup semis for the first time since 2018, there is still work to do in closing the gap with France, Argentina and Spain.

“I think out of the four (semifinal) teams, the other three teams almost expect to be world champions,” Tuchel said. “We were hoping. We were dreaming. We were pushing and believing. But still we have to close that gap. And we're up for that from tomorrow.”

The German coach, who has won trophies with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, said his squad was too passive against defending champion Argentina. Leading 1-0 going into the 85th minute and in a defensive shell, England surrendered goals to Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez amid widely questioned tactics and substitutions by Tuchel.

He said he trusted his instincts during the match and did not regret his decisions.

“If it’s easier that someone takes the blame,” Tuchel added, “I take the blame.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

England's head coach Thomas Tuchel responds to a question during a news conference ahead of their third-place World Cup soccer match against France, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

France's Kylian Mbappe, right, participates in a training session with the team ahead of their Bronze medal World Cup soccer match against England Friday, July 17, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

France's Ibrahima Konate listens during a news conference ahead of their third-place World Cup soccer match against England, in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

France's head coach Didier Deschamps speaks during a news conference ahead of their third-place World Cup soccer match against England, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

NEW YORK (AP) — Gospel legend Kirk Franklin is getting tired of defending his musical decisions.

He isn’t apologetic for praying with Chris Brown and Usher before a recent concert, a moment that drew social media criticism.

He isn’t sorry for teaming up with GloRilla for his 14th studio album, “I Am What I Am," despite the explicit content of her music catalog.

What Franklin is is a 56-year-old, 20-time Grammy winner who overcame a tumultuous childhood after being adopted at 4 to achieve a rarefied fame in music and collaborate with a mix of artists — whether they’re associated with piety or not.

“Why do you think historically there’s always this challenge with what I do and who I am?” asked Franklin, questioning what he describes as an elitist, holier-than-thou attitude among some gospel music fans. “It's far beyond my understanding.”

Franklin says his decision to pray for Usher and Brown, R&B megastars known for their sexually charged music and performances, was a simple one: because they asked him to.

“We as believers sometimes become judge and jury,” the “He's Able” artist told The Associated Press. “The decision to determine what needs to have the harder penance is where we find ourselves lost in how we miss reaching those that need us.”

That message permeates throughout “I Am What I Am,” Franklin's first double album, out Friday. Its 14 tracks are divided between contemporary songs and live-recorded traditional selections.

Karen Clark Sheard of the legendary Clark Sisters is featured, along with popular mainstream artists like Afrobeats superstar Davido, Jelly Roll, and GloRilla, who's on "This Time.” That single extended Franklin’s record-holding mark to 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s hot gospel songs chart.

Franklin's musical relationship with rappers has always ruffled feathers, resurfacing a debate about working with artists whose music frequently comes with parental advisory labels.

“You start trying to play in other people’s sandboxes, it is going to come with scrutiny,” said Franklin, who’s worked with rappers like Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) and Lil Baby. “There’s no way I can pay these artists what they normally get in these mainstream spaces, so why are they doing it? There’s a deeper reason that they feel pulled and called to want to do it.”

“I Am What I Am” is among the most introspective works from Franklin, who’s not a traditional lead vocalist, but mainly a songwriter, producer and musician. Honored with the icon award by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective last year alongside Pharrell Williams and Brandy, album standouts include “Hope in You” with Davido and “Welcome In — Live,” which finds him feeling forgotten by God at times, but expressing gratitude for God's steadfast presence.

But the most compelling song may be “Free Me Tonight” with Jelly Roll, referencing Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Performing spoken word, Franklin reflects introspectively while acknowledging his imperfections and public criticisms. He even mentions his 2021 controversy in which his estranged son Kerrion leaked a recording of his father threatening him and cursing.

“The Bible is a collection of these horrible, beautiful, painful, inspiring, challenging stories of people’s lives and journeys,” said Franklin, who found creating the song cathartic, once worrying the recording would end his career. “Gospel music is able to handle the raw, unfiltered truth about how ugly and difficult life can be.”

The Texas native is known for gospel classics like “Melodies From Heaven” and “Something About the Name Jesus,” along with crossover hits like “I Smile” and “Looking For You.” But it was 1997's “Stomp (Remix)” featuring Salt of the legendary rap duo Salt-N-Pepa that catapulted him into the mainstream. The smash found heavy rotation on radio and music video networks, propelling the “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation” album to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and topping the R&B albums chart — a first for a gospel project.

Franklin, once a rebellious high school dropout and teen father, has no plans to slow down. Within the industry's atmosphere of glitz and glamour, he says his art is not just entertainment, but a lifelong calling.

“The hole that I came from was so deep that whenever I’m around light, I never get tired of feeling the sunlight,” said Franklin. “That makes me very proud that when the question or the conversation of the bigger purpose of life, and does God really exist, I’ve been able to be included somewhere in keeping that a relevant conversation.”

Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.

Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)