France head coach Didier Deschamps has rejected a request from captain Kylian Mbappe and his teammates to go out ahead of Sunday's World Cup third-place play-off against England in Miami.
The France squad travelled from their World Cup training base in Boston to Miami on Thursday. According to L'Equipe, the players requested a free evening to clear their minds following their disappointing semi-final defeat to Spain.
The players also attempted to negotiate a midnight curfew, but Deschamps turned down the request, insisting he wants his squad fully focused as they seek to avoid ending the tournament with back-to-back defeats. The outgoing coach, who has led Les Bleus for 14 years, is determined to finish his tenure on a positive note.
France had been one of the standout teams at the World Cup before suffering a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday's semi-final. England, meanwhile, lost 2-1 to Argentina in the other semi-final a day later.
Reports also suggest France's coaching staff are sceptical of England's claims that they are not overly concerned about the result of the third-place play-off.
"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," England manager Thomas Tuchel said after his side's defeat to Argentina.
Deschamps, however, has stressed the importance of ending his spell as France coach with a victory. The French camp is reportedly treating England's comments as mind games, while remaining fully focused on securing third place.