World: the Blues on the way back, jubilation in Argentina

Drunk with happiness, the Argentines took to the streets by the millions to celebrate this third World Cup, the last coronation dating back to 1986 and Diego Maradona.

The Blues do not repeat the feat of 2018 even if they can be proud of their careers.

This legendary final was played on penalties (4-2) after a crazy scenario: a double from Lionel Messi, the tournament's best player, a hat-trick from Mbappé, the competition's top scorer, and stifling overtime (3-3).

To the point of gathering 24 million viewers on TF1, a "historic audience record" for French television.

It remains to be seen whether the Blues will have the heart to commune with their fans.

In a message sent to the press, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced that the players and their management, whose plane should land after 8:00 p.m. French time at Roissy airport, will then go to greet their public instead. of the Concorde in Paris.

The French teams in the World Cup final © Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sabrina BLANCHARD / AFP

This communication came to contradict the assertions of the boss of the FFF, who had indicated the exact opposite a few minutes earlier on BFMTV.

"The players are in a hurry to get home, explained Noël Le Graët. There is no descent from the Champs-Elysées and the departure of the players is planned after landing. When we don't win, we don't have not in the mood, in any case them, the mood to go for a walk on the Champs or elsewhere. They have been gone for more than a month and have given satisfaction. They want to return home as soon as possible.

The Argentinians should arrive around 7:00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT) at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, where a reception in a small committee was planned, according to an airport source, but without certainty yet on a reunion the same evening with the most of a million Porteños who, until late at night, celebrated the 3rd world title on Sunday.

Millions of Argentina supporters celebrate the victory in the World Cup final, in the main square of Buenos Aires, on December 18, 2022 © Emiliano LASALVIA / AFP

Messi the equal of Maradona

The day after Argentina's coronation, the international press celebrated with one voice the "amazing" genius of Messi and his very "Maradonian" performance until the end of an "anthology" match.

Without forgetting to console the other star of this "epic" final: the "phenomenon" Mbappé.

"We will come back," promised Kylian Mbappé on his Twitter account on Monday, his first words since the disillusionment of the day before.

As for Messi, 35, with this first world title - like Maradona in 1986 - he will still be a little more adored in Argentina.

"Like Diego Maradona in his time, the stadium idol lived up to his reputation on Sunday, more than ever the pride of an entire people", greeted the French daily Le Figaro on Monday, in praise of the "amazing Messi".

Mbappé's teammate at Paris SG also confided that he intended to "live a few more matches by being world champion".

On the French side, Didier Deschamps, whose coach's contract ends at the end of December, made an appointment at the start of the year to discuss his future.

Blues coach Didier Deschamps on the lawn of the Lusail stadium after the defeat in the World Cup final against Argentina, December 18, 2022 in Doha © Paul ELLIS / AFP

"I will have an appointment at the beginning of the year with my president (of the Federation, Noël Le Graët, editor's note), and then, you will know", he announced Sunday evening.

But this legendary match, played in front of 89,000 people elated by the scenario, should not overshadow the rest.

excess

This Mondial-2022 was indeed that of excess, with between 200 and 300 billion euros invested according to estimates and seven of the eight stadiums emerged from the Qatari sand for the occasion.

And then there were the controversies.

Charges of corruption, first, linked to the surprise obtaining in 2010 of the organization of the World Cup-2022 in Qatar.

Judicial inquiries are underway in several countries.

Human rights, in particular the treatment of migrant workers from South Asia and Africa employed on construction sites, in security and services, were also at the heart of the discussions, despite Qatari denials.

The Doha authorities deny that thousands of them have died on the construction sites of the World Cup, advancing the figure of a total of 414 deaths in work accidents (mainly outside the World Cup) between 2014 and 2020.

Argentina's megastar Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup after winning the final against France on December 18, 2022 in Doha © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

LGBT+ rights have also been a controversial subject in a very conservative country where homosexuality and sex outside marriage are illegal.

Finally, the environment has also been a subject of criticism, with in particular the carbon footprint left in Qatar before and during the World Cup.

© 2022 AFP