France's Cherki: Semi-final defeat painful, but team will never give up

The French national team has yet to fully process their semi-final exit, having been defeated 2-0 by Spain on Tuesday. Les Bleus will now contest the third-place match—the "small final"—of the 2026 World Cup against England on Saturday evening at 11 PM.

In a video posted to X by the French team on Friday morning, Rayan Cherki reflected on the disappointment.

"We're on the plane, heading to Miami, for the third-place match," said the Manchester City attacking midfielder. "It's tough, huh... But as I've always said, we will never give up. We will always fight for the homeland, for friends, for family. For those who come from above, for those who come from below."

The 22-year-old Frenchman (who turns 23 on August 17) also expressed gratitude to the hotel staff in Boston where the team had been staying:

• "It was incredible. Thank you very much to all the people who worked for us during this period, they were extraordinary."
• "Unfortunately, we couldn't give them the experience we wanted to live deep inside ourselves. But thank you very much."

Cherki noted that after Saturday's final match of the tournament, the players will have "earned a good rest."

"Never forget: we will come back, and we will come back stronger," the player promised. "And above all, we will come back to unite everyone behind the rooster. Because during the World Cup, we felt that all of France was united, and that's incredible. That's what we should be all the time."