At least three players from the France team were not at 100% for the semi-final against Morocco. Didier Deschamps and his men prefer to evacuate the subject. Will everyone be back for the final against Argentina?
20:28 – What training for the players of the France team this Thursday evening?
The day after their victory in the semi-finals of the World Cup, it is no surprise that the players of the France team had training whose objective was above all to recover after the efforts of the day before. A photo of Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembélé, Ibrahima Konaté and Antoine Griezmann in “full action” was notably published on social networks:
19:31 – The France team, the best selection in the world for a quarter of a century?
Historian specializing in the French team, François da Rocha Carneiro spoke at length to the Point. While since 1998 the Blues have qualified for four World Cup finals out of the seven that have taken place, the expert does not mince his words: “I have learned a lesson from this: the France team is the best selection football in the world over the last quarter of a century, ahead of Germany.” And to explain: “The Blues have gone to the final four times since 1998. They have already won two titles and have the opportunity to win a third, Sunday, against Leo Messi’s Argentina. Germany, As for her, she reached the final twice in the same period and won only one title, in 2014.”
6:29 p.m. – On video, Emmanuel Macron in the locker room
The President of the Republic had traveled to Qatar for the France-Morocco semi-final on Wednesday, December 14. At the end of the match won by the France team, Emmanuel Macron went to the locker room to personally congratulate the players. “Sunday we’re here and you guys win it again!” he said, all smiles. Words that did not fail to make Didier Deschamps’ men react as we can see in the video, with a particularly fit Olivier Giroud:
17:20 – France all in blue against Argentina
Superstition or not? Against Argentina, the France team will play all dressed in blue, jersey and shorts, as in the 2018 final against Croatia. However, it should be noted that the Blues had worn this set… against Tunisia, in front of the pool. But we were far from having the holders on the ground.
16:48 – Are any players injured?
No losses were recorded in the semi-final against Morocco. However, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann still have to recover from bruises. As for Theo Hernandez, who worried after a shock to the left knee, he seems available for Sunday, although he will remain monitored by the staff.
16:28 – Coman still spared, Rabiot and Upamecano in training
According The Team, Kingsley Coman is spared this Thursday, given his early flu. He will not take part in training tonight, unlike Adrien Rabiot who will resume racing this Thursday. Dayot Upamecano, who is also a bit ill, should train well with the Habs tonight.
3:40 p.m. – Only one defensive action by Mbappé .. since the start of the World Cup
Kylian Mbappé and the defense, it’s not really that. This is not new, far from it, but a figure shows that the French striker has no defensive vocation. According to Opta, the three-color striker has only made one defensive action since the start of the World Cup. That’s less than any other player in the competition.
14:36 - The final in a stadium known to Argentina
It is not in Doha, the capital of Qatar, that the Blues will try to retain their title of world champion on Sunday. The final against Argentina will take place at the Lusail stadium in Lusail, 15km north of Doha. This enclosure of almost 89,000 seats has already hosted four matches for Argentina since the start of the competition: the defeat against Saudi Arabia, then the victories, in the group stage, against Mexico, in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands and in the semi-final against Croatia. France, it has not yet played.
12:56 – 14 World Cup victories for Deschamps
By recording a new victory with the French team against Morocco, Didier Deschamps had his 14th success in the World Cup. He thus becomes the second most successful coach in this competition, tied with Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari. Only the German Helmut Schön does better (16 victories). However, it should be noted that “DD” has the best success ratio (14/18 games, 77%). He has only been defeated twice at a World Cup: in 2014, in the quarter-finals, against Germany (1-0), and in the group stage, this year, against Tunisia (1 -0).
11:33 – Who has already retained their title of world champion?
Reaching the World Cup final twice in a row is not given to everyone, even less retaining their title. In the history of the World Cup, only two teams have succeeded: Italy, world champion in 1934 then in 1938, and Brazil, in 1958 and 1962. Will France become the 3rd nation to achieve this feat? ?
The numbers of each player of the France team were revealed on November 15, just one week before their entry into the competition. Captain and goalkeeper of the team, Hugo Lloris wears the number 1. We note that the 9 was left to Olivier Giroud when Karim Benzema inherited the 19 before leaving the Blues on withdrawal. Antoine Griezmann wears the 7 and the 10 was offered to Kylian Mbappé.
Here is the ranking of the top scorer of the French football team with Olivier Giroud at the top of the hierarchy ahead of Thierry Henry: