The France team lost in the World Cup final against Argentina despite an incredible comeback at the end of the match.
The absolutely unthinkable scenario from the penalty obtained by Kolo-Muani made this final the most beautiful in the history of the World Cup, thanks in part to the resilience of the Blues despite a catastrophic start.
From our Special Envoy in Doha,
In a few years, hopefully only four, when he lifts his second World Cup, Kylian Mbappé will remember this evening of December 18, 2022 and see it as a founding moment.
Maybe he'll even laugh about it, who knows.
Losing a World Cup final after scoring a hat-trick, admit that there is something to laugh about (yellow).
But on Sunday evening, when he came to collect his trophy for the competition's top scorer, a few minutes after the defeat of the Blues in the World Cup final against Argentina on penalties, to the applause of the oils of FIFA and the president Macron but under the whistles of the (still very classy) Argentine public, the boy has it bad.
And with him the 24 players who came to collect their chocolate medal on the podium,
Their pain is legitimate and nothing can console them immediately.
But soon will come the time to take a little height.
At that moment, then, they will understand that they will have written one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the World Cup finals.
Because this 2022 vintage is already etched forever in the pantheon of Mondial finals.
Maybe even in first place.
In any case, far ahead of the already mythical France-Italy 2006, the headbutt of the double Z to Matterrazzi and his headlong passage in front of the Jules Rimet trophy.
On this subject, note that, unlike his illustrious elder, Kylian Mbappé could not help but watch this World Cup by passing in front of him before leaving the stage.
Two minutes for history
However, everything had started for a one-sided final, one of the most unbalanced that we can remember.
Ten minutes from the end, we were already ready to pack everything up, Leo Messi's Argentina leading the most quietly in the world by two goals against the insipid Blues who made us want to slap them more than to bow down to them.
They who had offered us so much emotion (if not a game strictly speaking) since the start of the World Cup, now they were going to leave the stage in the most ordinary anonymity, sad ghosts in an evening yet made to shine.
Then everything changed.
From lambda, this final would become five stars and switch in just two minutes in the most total irrationality.
Two minutes and two goals from Mbappé, the first from peno, the second from a delicious volley from the right (?), as if to remind the world that we are not talking about a player escaping through the back door when the time for the high peaks strikes.
“It happened very quickly.
We came back then physically, we were better than them.
We started to push and we believed in it, said Varane on beIN Sports after the match.
We were not far from succeeding in overturning the match which was badly started.
There is a mental strength in this group, a lot of heart.
It allowed us to reach the final.
But that was not enough to win.
Two 2-0 to 2-2, while the Argentinians were already celebrating their victory at Fernet-Coca in the locker room, we thought that the stroke of the chisel was certainly going to be fatal to them.
A bit like the Italians in the Euro 2000 final, standing knockout after Syvain Wiltord equalized in stoppage time. mortals would have dropped, disgusted by the lucky star above the France team, they resumed their march forward and the advantage in the score after a new goal from Messi.
End of the movie?
Still not, no.
“It will take time to digest”
For this final to definitely go down in the history books, we couldn't miss what football has to offer both the most beautiful and the most horrible at the same time, namely the penalty shootout.
So Mbappé equalized on peno (118th) and pushed everyone towards the ultimate explanation since, a minute earlier, Kolo Muani missed the title ball at the end of the end of the Qatari night.
And in this little game, history has shown us, the Blues are unfortunately always the ones who die at the end of the film.
A save from Martinez on Coman's shot, a ball that escapes the frame on that of Tchouaméni, and here is the band at Deschamps forced to pass the baton to Alibceleste and his new DI0s Leo Messi.
"That's what gives you even more regrets," Deschamps told TF1 after the defeat.
If we take a third, there is nothing to say.
We didn't do what was necessary for an hour but afterwards, with a lot of courage, quality and energy, we pushed them to their last limits.
It is played on one last occasion in the 120th, then the penalty shootout which is difficult to live with when you are not on the right side.
“Asked about his future, he who will be at the end of his contract with the France team on December 31, the coach did not want to project himself, explaining only that “when there is no Grail at the end, and we weren't far off, it hurts and it will take time to digest.
One day, you will see, you will be proud to have been part of this magical evening.
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