Argentina-France: the Blues have not won a penalty shootout since… 1998

It's starting to look a lot like a curse.

France, beaten on penalties in the World Cup final by Argentina, is not used to shining in this exercise.

It's been more than 24 years since the Blues won a face-to-face with the opposing goalkeeper after extra time.

An eternity...

France's last victory on penalties dates back to 1998. At the time, Aimé Jacquet's men eliminated Italy in the quarter-finals after a save by Fabien Barthez on a shot from Demetrio Albertini and a missed strike from Luigio Di Biagio.

We know the rest.

Victory against Croatia in the semis, then in the final against Brazil to allow the French team to win their first world star.

Except that since then, the Blues can't do it anymore.

Three failures, including two in the World Cup final that turned hopes into immeasurable distress.

First in 2006 for Zinédine Zidane's last match and this Sunday evening, for a third star that seemed within reach.

14 shots on goal in a row conceded by the Blues

Worse than the three failures, it is the last 14 shots on goal against France in a major tournament that have all been scored.

Not a single stop by goalkeepers Fabien Barthez (in 2006) and Hugo Lloris (in 2021 at the Euro and this Sunday evening).

Not even a miss from an opposing shooter.

Conversely, the Blues have failed on multiple occasions: Kinglsey Coman saw his shot on goal stopped by Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Aurélien Tchouaméni did not find the target this Sunday.

During the last Euro, it was Kylian Mbappé who failed in the round of 16 against the Swiss Yann Sommer.

Finally, in 2006, David Trezeguet shot the crossbar in the final... Two lost finals and just as much disappointment.

Read alsoArgentina-France: relive the terrible penalty shootout won by the Albiceleste

No miracle recipe

Is there nevertheless a miracle recipe to overcome the Indian sign?

In the round of 16 in Qatar, when France eliminated Poland, Antoine Griezmann revealed after the match that the Blues had not particularly worked on the penalties for a penalty shootout, which did not in any case not take place.

But what about this time in the final?

Did Lloris study the habits of Argentines?

Did the shooters practice in front of the goal?

Not sure.

After the elimination at the Euro against Switzerland, Lloris revealed the futility of his video viewing of the Helvetii:

On the morning of the match, just before the meeting, I asked for the penalties of the Swiss shooters, and I looked at their habits.

In the evening, they all shot in the opposite direction.

So during the session you ask yourself the question of whether you continue to base yourself on the stats or on the feeling

he confided in a press conference.

Obviously, this Sunday evening in the World Cup final, against Argentina, intuition once again proved unsuccessful.