Ibrahima Konate made his first start at the 2026 World Cup on Saturday evening as France took on England in the third-place play-off, and fans have revealed exactly what they thought of the new Real Madrid signing’s performance.

Les Blues were knocked out of the tournament on Tuesday night when they were beaten by Spain in Dallas. This set up the ‘bronze final’ in Miami against the Three Lions, who lost to Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

England stormed into a 4-0 lead in the first half, courtesy of a brace from Bukayo Saka, along with strikes from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa.

France threatened to complete a remarkable comeback in the second period, scoring four times to reduce the deficit to one goal for a short spell, but they were ultimately unable to pull off this incredible feat, as Thomas Tuchel’s side claimed the bronze medals.

Ibrahima Konate Produces Disastrous Performance vs England

France’s Ibrahima Konate via REUTERS/Paul Childs

After five years on Merseyside, Konate opted to leave Liverpool this summer, rejecting a new contract offer to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Despite completing this blockbuster move to the Bernabeu, Deschamps evidently isn’t a keen admirer of the centre-back, favouring William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano throughout the competition. However, the France boss did grant Konate a start in Les Blues’ final match of the tournament.

It’s safe to say the defender didn’t repay Deschamps for this show of faith. Konate produced a diabolical opening 45 minutes before being replaced by Upamecano at half-time.

All at sea for multiple England goals, the 27-year-old struggled with the intensity of Tuchel’s forwards’ movement, looking lost positionally whilst also struggling in possession.

The disastrous nature of Konate’s display is reflected in the stats. The defender committed two fouls, made no tackles, no interceptions and won just one of his four ground duels.

Fans React to Ibrahima Konate’s Display vs England

Unsurprisingly, fans weren’t overly impressed with Konate’s performance against the Three Lions. Many Liverpool and Real Madrid supporters took to social media to mock the player’s out-of-sorts showing.

The display prompted one fan to question Real Madrid’s investment in him: “Konate being on £400,000 PER WEEK at Madrid needs to be investigated.”

Another wrote: “Saliba out and Konate first start this World Cup and France are drinking goals and shots like it’s nothing.”

Meanwhile, a Liverpool supporter added: “Ngl getting rid of Konate for free was a blessing in disguise. Poor Real Madrid.”

Another fan posited: “Real Madrid Galactico signing Ibrahima Konaté finally gets his first start at the World Cup, and he’s been stinking the whole place.”

A Los Blancos supporter chimed in on the conversation, expressing concern about the signing: “Konate conceded 3 goals in 35 minutes. We’re gonna be paying him 20m per year by the way.”

Konate will now take three or four weeks off to rest and recuperate, before reporting for Real Madrid training ahead of his new chapter in the Spanish capital.

Patrick Vieira has revealed the damning reason Michael Olise gave to him about choosing to play for the French national team over England.

Olise has now made 26 caps for France, enjoying an outstanding couple of years in Didier Deschamps’ ranks. While Les Blues fell short at the semi-final stage, losing comfortably to Spain in Dallas on Tuesday, the Bayern Munich winger has played a key role in France’s 2026 World Cup campaign.

Given his status as one of the best attacking players in world football, he’s likely to continue contributing to his country’s exploits at international tournaments for several years.

Many will be aware that Olise was also eligible to play for the Three Lions, but won’t know why he opted to represent England’s continental counterparts — Vieira has revealed what the player himself told him.

Patrick Vieira Reveals What Olise Told Him About Picking France Over England

Born in White City in west London, Olise could have chosen to play for England. He grew up in the United Kingdom’s capital city, spending time in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, before eventually settling at Reading in 2017.

When it came to selecting which team to represent at international level, Olise had several options. He was eligible to play for Nigeria through his father, while his mother’s rich heritage made him eligible for Haiti, Algeria and France.

He ultimately opted for Les Bleus, making his under-18s debut in 2019 before representing France at the under-21s level and at the Olympics, and eventually making his senior debut in 2024.

Vieira, who coached Olise at Crystal Palace between 2021 and 2023, has revealed what Olise told him about his choice of international team, and England fans won’t like it.

“There was no question of England or anything else,” he told L’Equipe.

“He told me he had always been a supporter of the French national team. And he also explained to me that he had a better chance of becoming a world champion with Les Bleus than with England.”

Michael Olise on Why He Selected France Instead of England

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Olise might have made this bold claim in private to Vieira, but he wasn’t willing to be quite this open when speaking about his decision to represent France publicly.

In an interview with Highsnobiety, the playmaker explained that he grew up following iconic French players, while he also enjoyed his time travelling in the country as a child.

“The players I followed when I was young were French: [Zinedine] Zidane, Thierry Henry, [Franck] Ribery,” he said.

“And I always came to France when I was young. It felt more natural.”

Ultimately, the choice was Olise’s, and people are allowed to feel more connected to certain parts of their roots than others.

Claude Makelele has named one of the best performers at this summer’s World Cup as his pick to win the Ballon d’Or.

The French midfielder didn’t win the award during his career but watched Real Madrid teammates Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo claim the prestigious award. This year, it’s proving to be one of the most closely fought races to take first place on the podium in October in London.

While players are judged on their club-level performances, it’s hard to dispute how important it is to shine at the World Cup. Lionel Messi‘s brilliance in Argentina’s 2022 triumph was largely why he won the award for an eighth time in 2023.

Makelele Names his Ballon d’Or Favourite

It’s not often that the top stars from each of the biggest nations come to the dance and prove their worth, but that has happened at this year’s World Cup. Particularly, up front where marksmen have wreaked havoc in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Harry Kane has starred for England, firing the Three Lions through each knockout stage and demonstrating his leadership. That’s also been the case for Messi, who continues to roll back the years with decisive performances each time he’s on the pitch.

Erling Haaland replicated his club form on the biggest stage with Norway, bullying defenders before his nation crashed out in the quarter-finals. While he might not be a number nine by trade, Kylian Mbappe has been at the peak of his powers for France.

Mbappe is the name Makelele believes should win the Ballon d’Or later this year. The iconic former French midfielder told Marca: “I’d love for Mbappe to win it. He hasn’t picked up many trophies with Real Madrid this season, but what he’s producing at this World Cup is exceptional.”

The 27-year-old broke several records during another unbelievable World Cup campaign, including becoming France’s all-time top goalscorer (64). He also displaced Justin Fontaine as the French player with the most goals in the tournament’s history.

Mbappe engaged in a battle with Messi throughout the tournament, vying for the Golden Boot. His extraordinary displays haven’t just convinced Makelele he should win the Ballon d’Or but also remind the Chelsea legend of Brazil’s 1994 and 2002 World Cup-winning striker Ronaldo Nazario:

“Kylian Mbappe’s relentless consistency season after season is drawing him closer and closer to Ronaldo Nazario. We didn’t call the Brazilian ‘O Fenomeno’ for nothing, and Mbappe is undoubtedly the phenomenon of his own generation. The frightening part is that he still has levels to reach. I am absolutely convinced: he is the closest thing we have seen to a modern-day R9.”

REUTERS/Mike Segar

The awards ceremony takes place on October 26th and will be the first time it has been hosted in London, England. Mbappe has never won the Ballon d’Or, coming closest in 2023 when he finished third.

Real Madrid Failure Could Dent Mbappe Hopes

When handing out the award, one of the biggest factors is often the number of trophies won, and Mbappe ended his club campaign without any silverware. The French forward played his part, finding the back of the net 42 times in 44 games.

Madrid lost out to Barcelona in the La Liga title race and crashed out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. They were also beaten by their El Clasico rivals in the Supercopa de Espana final and suffered a shock loss to Spanish minnows Albacete in the Copa del Rey Round of 16.

Whether this will prevent Mbappe from winning the Ballon d’Or remains to be seen, but it is worth noting. The competition for the award is fierce, and for all his individual brilliance, there are others who not only thrived for club and country but also lifted major trophies.