Dugout Discussion
18 July 2026 314 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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The third-place play-off of the World Cup may be pretty meaningless in ‘real’ football terms but for Fantasy managers, it has the potential to deliver some much-needed points.

It’s not just the fact that the ‘bronze medal match’ traditionally brings goals; it’s also the knowledge that Scouting Bonus picks suddenly abound in this fixture – something that won’t be true in the final tomorrow.

Kick-off between France and England is at 22:00 BST.

TEAM NEWS

The expected rotation has materialised as both managers make seven changes for what is a glorified friendly.

Marc Guehi ($5.1m), Djed Spence ($4.3m), Morgan Rogers ($7.2m) and Declan Rice ($7.0m) are the only four survivors for England.

That means Harry Kane ($10.5m) and Jude Bellingham ($8.3m), amongst others, are demoted to substitute duty.

The only France players keeping their places are Mike Maignan ($5.0m), Adrian Rabiot ($6.4m), Michael Olise ($9.5m) and Golden Boot-chasing Kylian Mbappe ($10.5m).

LINE-UPS

France XI: Maignan; T. Hernández, Lacroix, Konate, Gusto; Rabiot, Zaïre-Emery; Doue, Cherki, Olise, Mbappe.

Subs: Akliouche, Barcola, Dembele, Digne, L. Hernandez, Kante, Kone, Kounde, Mateta, Risser, Saliba, Samba, Tchouameni, Thuram, Upamecano.

England XI: D. Henderson; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Eze; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Toney.

Subs: Pickford, O’Reilly, Stones, Anderson, Kane, Bellingham, Chalobah, J. Henderson, Burn, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Trafford, James.


314 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    12 hours ago

    Lol to those who said france don't care about this game. They playing b team, not interested, etc

    1. BUZZBOMB ♡
      • 11 Years
      11 hours, 54 mins ago

      Well where where they between 10pm and 10.50 pm then? I'll remind the wife that next time I'm late home... it was because I cared...

  2. Mr. O'Connell
    • 14 Years
    11 hours, 59 mins ago

    Rice can barely walk. Leaving him on in a meaningless match where he was off at the first opportunity in the QF and SF. Make it make sense.

  3. Haa-lala-land
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 55 mins ago

    Saka limping

  4. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    11 hours, 55 mins ago

    Saka limping again, PL is back baby!

  5. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 54 mins ago

    Those who played maximum captain or cs shield is pretty much a waste. Should have used it earlier

    1. GreennRed
      • 14 Years
      11 hours, 53 mins ago

      I used it MD1and wasted the remaining MDs !

    2. SM001
      • 10 Years
      11 hours, 47 mins ago

      Please stop talking

    3. Tony Moon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      10 hours, 56 mins ago

      Not so. I wouldn't have captained Saka this round otherwise.

  6. Haa-lala-land
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 53 mins ago

    This is actually fascinating to see if the players have learnt anything at all, seeing they find themselves now in the same predicament as they were in V Argentina

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      11 hours, 51 mins ago

      That was 1-0 lead, this 4-0!

      1. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        11 hours, 49 mins ago

        When he posted, it was one goal with ten minutes to go.

    2. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      11 hours, 43 mins ago

      They did learn their lesson.. went forward, got a penalty

  7. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 52 mins ago

    Ivan Toney.. no wonder he went to saudi arabia

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      11 hours, 51 mins ago

      Should’ve left him there.

  8. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    11 hours, 51 mins ago

    That could be costly from Bellingham. Good job Olise is having a stinker.

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      11 hours, 51 mins ago

      Both should have scored!

  9. GreennRed
    • 14 Years
    11 hours, 50 mins ago

    Good game to watch though.

  10. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 48 mins ago

    Kane saved for penalty shootout,?

  11. BUZZBOMB ♡
    • 11 Years
    11 hours, 48 mins ago

    James on with 7 mins to go. Guaranteed red flag until the first IB IN FPL 26/27.

  12. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    11 hours, 47 mins ago

    Lol, Toney just subbed

  13. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 47 mins ago

    Penalty! That should seal the 3rd place for england!

  14. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 46 mins ago

    Penalty to England.

    Comeback over probably.

  15. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 44 mins ago

    Who got saka? Congrats. World cup hattrick. Price jumped from 9.5 to 10.5 in fpl

  16. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    11 hours, 44 mins ago

    I don’t think anyone predicted a Saka hatty 😯

    1. Gizzachance
      • 11 Years
      11 hours, 43 mins ago

      Didn’t even get a minute in semis, now plays a game

    2. karam94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      11 hours, 23 mins ago

      Brought him in for Argentina.
      Has ended up being my Max Captain today.

      What a strange game this is...

  17. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 41 mins ago

    Olise terrible this wc really. Lot of assists but terrible finishing

    1. BUZZBOMB ♡
      • 11 Years
      11 hours, 31 mins ago

      Honestly pal, you talk so much drivel. I dont take myself seriously, but you are that uninformed. Just noise. 0lise has 7 assists. France dont set up for him to score. He's a proven talent in England, Germany and internationally. Please just shoosht now. I cant believe it was this post of yours that tipped me over the edge. I nearly lasted the whole tournement reading the boxlo you post.

      1. jacob1989
        • 4 Years
        11 hours, 26 mins ago

        Did u see his 2 terrible misses? He has been scoring for fun for bayern. His finishing has been terrible all wc. He is not just an assist man. It was his 2 misses today that cost france the game. You are the one who is uninformed.. ultimately england won bcoz olise couldn't score 2 almost 100% chances

        1. BUZZBOMB ♡
          • 11 Years
          11 hours, 22 mins ago

          "He is not just an assist man".

        2. BUZZBOMB ♡
          • 11 Years
          11 hours, 20 mins ago

          "Terrible

          Even my dog's laughing. He quite easily could be in the team of the tournement 11.

          1. jacob1989
            • 4 Years
            11 hours, 8 mins ago

            I think u fail to realise scoring goals is no. 1 objective in football.. if u have around 8-10 big chances in 5 games, all in knockouts and miss all of them, that is terrible.
            He is not terrible, he is a great player but his finishing has been terrible since knockouts. He also was very poor vs spain and even paraguay. So no i don't think he has been that great this wc. And 1 of reasons probably france didn't reach final. If u r a superstar player u have to deliver

            1. BUZZBOMB ♡
              • 11 Years
              11 hours ago

              France scored 16 goals in this WC, admittedly 4 tonight. Olise had 7 assists. Its a ridiculous situation that I actually have to defend Olise's effort. If there is any issue - and Spain showed there is - it's not an Olise problem. Its a France problem.

              I still think you talk boxxoll btw.

              1. Tony Moon
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 16 Years
                10 hours, 54 mins ago

                Well said.

            2. GreennRed
              • 14 Years
              10 hours, 51 mins ago

              He's a winger who scores some goals rather than a golascoring winger like Salah. 73 club goals in 309 games. Obviously that rate went up playing for a dominant team like Bayern, compared to Palace games. For France it looks very like they're instructed to feed Kylian as much as possible. Dembele, a more natural goalscorer than Olise, hasn't a great goalscoring record for France, improved slighly at this World Cup. France have serious attacking threats but Deschamp decided to skew the balance. Didn't work out great for them. At Bayern theyhave better balance, including Kane, so Olise has more goal threat.

      2. Raoul Nogues
        11 hours, 2 mins ago

        Totally agree with you

    2. Mozumbus
      • 4 Years
      11 hours, 16 mins ago

      Olise gf will give him a French Miss tonight lol

  18. JT11fc
    • 7 Years
    11 hours, 41 mins ago

    Djed Spence has been a revelation, inspiring

    1. Moon Dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 1 Year
      11 hours, 37 mins ago

      Might keep Robertson out of the team!

  19. BUZZBOMB ♡
    • 11 Years
    11 hours, 38 mins ago

    Last Trevor to get an England cap?

    Love a Trevor in a team. Old school.

  20. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    11 hours, 38 mins ago

    Bronze Final is technically a final right?

  21. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 36 mins ago

    Well this is actually one of best ever world cup games. Lol

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      11 hours, 34 mins ago

      This is how finals should be.

      This is how all matches should be.

      1. jacob1989
        • 4 Years
        11 hours, 31 mins ago

        Yes thats what i posted earlier. Too much emphasis placed on defense. Why not win 5-4 instead of 2-1 is what i posted earlier

  22. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 35 mins ago

    5-4 Dembele, but it is too late.

    1. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      11 hours, 33 mins ago

      Well that was a ballsy statement, amateurish football since that goal until Bellingham got a hold of it

  23. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Epic 😀

  24. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Brilliant Bellingham

  25. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Basketball game

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      11 hours, 33 mins ago

      More like Baseball.

      1. CoracAld2831
        • 5 Years
        11 hours, 32 mins ago

        Or Hockey.

  26. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Jude keeping his name in the hat for the Ballon d'Or. What a player.

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      11 hours, 32 mins ago

      What? No way. Didnt win anything with england or real Madrid

    2. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      11 hours, 32 mins ago

      Not even close lmao

  27. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Bellingham 6-4.

  28. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    11 hours, 34 mins ago

    Wow we got a tennis score! 6-4! Took out Bellingham for doue

  29. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    11 hours, 32 mins ago

    Defence worthy of an NBA allstar game

  30. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    11 hours, 32 mins ago

    Incredible game. That one will be remembered for some time.

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      11 hours, 30 mins ago

      Deserved an extra time imo.

    2. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      11 hours, 30 mins ago

      Such a good game!

    3. Mr. O'Connell
      • 14 Years
      11 hours, 30 mins ago

      Gonna pretend it was the final

      1. Moon Dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 1 Year
        11 hours, 28 mins ago

        Scoring 6 goals against the tournament favourites earns you another star on the shirt, right?