France is in good form, with five consecutive wins, including the last one against Morocco (2-0) on July 9. The next match for the team is against England on Saturday night. But Daniel Riolo, a columnist for After Foot, doesn't understand the point of this game. "This match has no value", he said. "Historically, it was linked to a bronze medal but now there is none. This match has no interest. Nobody has ever wanted to play this match. I don't know why they don't decide to get rid of it." Daniel Riolo thinks that the objective of Kylian Mbappé to finish as the top scorer in this match is ridiculous. "I think it's ridiculous to talk about this stat and the title of top scorer when you get it in the third-place match, it's grotesque." He thinks that the interest of this match lies in the opportunity to give playing time to the substitutes. "If you don't want to damage the progress, you do a very simple thing; you take eleven substitutes and you tell them: 'honor the jersey'. I want on the field Akliouche, Cherki, Lacroix, Konaté, Gusto, Théo Hernandez or Digne. In the middle, you put Kanté, Zaïre-Emery and in front Mateta and Thuram if he can play. You must reward those who have been in the group and who have not played yet. You must finish with the substitutes. In 1982 and 1986, we did that and it was very good."
Opinion
France's World Cup third-place match: a game without value, says Daniel Riolo
France faces England on Saturday in the World Cup third-place match. Daniel Riolo, a columnist for After Foot, doesn't understand the point of this game.
