France placed itself in the Al Bayt stadium after beating Morocco in a position to achieve something that has only happened twice in the history of the World Cups, to repeat the title, as Italy did in 1930 and 1934, and Pelé's Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Between them and that achievement, not only Leo Messi's Argentina stands in the way.
There is some fear in the French concentration that the virus that prevented Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot from playing yesterday will spread.
"We have separated them from the others," said the coach, Didier Deschamps, after defeating Morocco.
Although both footballers have gone through feverish processes these days with symptoms similar to those of the flu, the coach believes that he will be able to count on them for the final on Sunday.
But he wants to prevent the disease from spreading, after having suffered several similar cases throughout the tournament that he attributes in part to the extreme changes in temperature caused by the air conditioners.
And also wear and tear: “The players have made a lot of efforts on the field, and the immune system suffers.
Upamecano felt bad after the game.
It's something that happens when you make efforts, the body weakens.
We will take precautions."
Deschamps is also one step away from an astonishing achievement personally: he could be the only one to win a World Cup as a player and two as a coach, although he wanted to put that aside: “I'm not the most important thing here.
The team is more important than me.
I am proud of them.
We know we have the opportunity to defend the title in the final."
His footballers are aware of the situation they are facing, as Varane explained: “Living it once is special, but being lucky enough to be able to live it again is something exceptional.
We have to live in the moment, seize it.
It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are going to fight to get it”.
Another of Russia's veterans, Antoine Griezmann, chosen as the best player in the semifinal, is already thinking about the game against Argentina, for which he says he is focused on "keeping his feet on the ground."
He is aware of the difficulty of the rival: “It is a team like us, with a player who stands out above all.
They work very well and have the best in the world,” he said.
“Any team with Messi is a totally different proposition.
And he has a good group around him."
Rookies like Koundé have no doubts: “We are confident.
We have a team that can compete against anyone."
Aurélien Tchouameni was also along the same lines: “It's a dream to play in a World Cup final.
We are going to do everything to show our level, ”he said.
“The dressing room is happy, we are going to be in a final.
It is not easy to have this opportunity”.
Despite their confidence and enthusiasm, they all agreed to underline that they consider their options in the final very similar to those of Argentina, and Deschamps explained that for both teams it is a challenge one step above what they have needed up to now: “We saw a very strong Argentina against Croatia, but in other games they weren't.
We were not perfect against England, nor against Morocco.
In the final, we both played a better team than the ones we've faced in the tournament."
His concentration was broken by a question about whether Benzema, who left injured and is already training with Real Madrid, could return to concentration: “I don't want to answer that question.
I am sorry".
It was, with the virus, the only shock of a happy night in which even the French president, Emmanuel Macron, celebrated in the locker room: “Our compatriots need simple and pure joy, and sport, and in particular football, gives it to them ”.
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