World Cup: France lose final group game, Thuram on the bench

Marcus Thuram and France suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against Tunisia in their final group fixture – but results elsewhere ensured they remained top.

Unlike in the first two World Cup matches against Australia (4-1) and Denmark (2-1), in which he had been subbed on both times, Marcus Thuram (Photo: imago images / PanoramiC) did not play in the final group match against Tunisia. With a place in the last 16 already confirmed, head coach Didier Deschamps named a heavily rotated side. They showed little conviction and let Tunisia take control of the game. Wahbi Khazri (58’) scored the only goal.

However, Tunisia's sensational win over the defending champions was not enough to send them through, as Australia beat Denmark 1-0 in the parallel match to stay in second place. As group winners,France will meet the runners-up in Group C (Poland, Argentina, Saudi Arabia or Mexico) in the round of 16 on Saturday at 16:00 CET.

The last Gladbach players to round off the group stage are Jonas Hofmann (Germany), Ko Itakura (Japan) and Yann Sommer and Nico Elvedi (both Switzerland). Germany will face Costa Rica on Thursday evening at 20:00 CET, while at the same time, Japan will take on Spain. Switzerland have their destiny in their own hands as they take on Serbia on Friday at 20:00 CET.

Gladbach's statement on the World Cup