From our Special Envoy in Doha,
Mbappé, Giroud, Giroud, Mbappé. For the French media covering this World Cup in Qatar, it is not always easy to renew oneself when it comes to the French team, especially when the two take malicious pleasure in pulling all the coverage to them since the start: Kylian Mbappé, because Kylian Mbappé, who scores more than half of France’s goals and carries the team on his back, Olivier Giroud, because Thierry Henry, and his national goalscoring record equaled against Australia and finally overtaken against Poland.
Inevitably, by force, we end up going around in circles, to the point of not knowing what to say. Or more exactly how to tell it. So, since we are in a cuddly mood with this third qualifying round in the quarter-finals of the World Cup under the Deschamps era, we are going to try something different. For the second, because the first one has already settled his account at the final whistle on Sunday evening. Although, we will inevitably have to talk about the two since their history has never been so closely linked as during this World Cup.
In my arms, my chicken!
We will thank in passing the number 9 of the Blues for having given us the idea without knowing it, in the course of a question about Mbappé, precisely, and about the symbol represented by the fact that it was him and not another who gave him offered the dice pass for the historic goal. “Yeah, there’s a nice shot after my goal, he smiles in the mixed zone after qualifying. It was such a special moment, so strong, it will stay. It’s true, it’s beautiful, it’s football. The cliché he is talking about and which he had perhaps already seen in the short period of time he had between the anti-doping control at the final whistle and his passage in front of the microphones, it is this one.
The final whistle was not yet given that the photo was already around the world and social networks. It will remain, we agree with the twittos above, as one of the most significant of this World Cup, and whatever the final outcome for the France team. And if it has unfortunately (but unsurprisingly) spawned its flood of seedy comments and stinky innuendos – because inevitably, you see, two men who embrace and look at each other tenderly hide salacious desires behind – to the point that the expression “PETE ME” appeared in the top trends on Twitter, it was also put forward for its most beautiful.
The most unexpected plot twist of the year
Namely two teammates who, a year after having faced each other through the media and then eye to eye before Euro 2021, which had had the unfortunate tendency to create a dirty atmosphere in the group, now walk hand in hand with the idea of hanging a third star on the jersey of the France team. After his goal, Giroud will even launch a moving “I love you” to his decisive passer as a thank you. “I was a little frustrated not to have been able to concretize on one or two crosses that he had made at the start of the match, he will say to the microphone of beIN after the match. So I really wanted to put this goal. It’s great for us, he thinks I’m good, it’s just happiness”. In the mixed zone, the new pichichi des Bleus continues to give love to his new friend.
“We will continue to be complimentary to him, of course. He still scores two goals and he deserves it, what more are we going to say? He continues to impress. Finally… To impress yes and no because we know what he is capable of, but it’s great for him”, he explains, sincere.
In the meantime, it is he for the moment the best scorer in the history of the Blues, we should not forget it. “I didn’t have time to look at all the messages I received but I received plenty. This record represents a lot of pride, it’s an honor, he told us in the mixed zone. I was expecting it and the sooner the better because there were a lot of people saying to me “well come on, it’s going to be for today”. Against Denmark I didn’t have much opportunity, against Tunisia I didn’t play, that’s why the fact of having done it today, let’s say we won’t talk about this anymore record now, it’s done. »
“Mbappé will soon catch up with me! »
But even when he talks about his record, the Milanese comes back despite everything and without being asked to his attacking friend: “I hope that he too will beat my record. In any case, he is predestined for that. Don’t worry, he’ll catch up to me soon! he laughs. These permanent elevator referrals between the two men, who have not stopped throwing flowers at each other for a few weeks, say a lot about this new balance in the locker room. Mbappé is the undisputed leader and Giroud his right arm who is very satisfied with this role that was unhoped for a short time ago. Especially since it is rumored that the presence of the former Gunner in Qatar is not unrelated at the laudatory exit from the Parisian towards him after the victory in Austria, who convinced that this duo could do great things together.
A boon for Didier Deschamps made possible, whether we like it or not, by the departure of Karim Benzema, whose presence in Doha inevitably threw Giroud into a role of supersub not necessarily easy to live with when we spent so much time in the skin of the number 1 striker. Asked at a press conference about the state of form and the complicity of his two attackers, compared to four years ago, in Russia, at the same stage of the competition, the coach said had this sentence which sums up the current situation well: “If Kylian can make the difference on his own, one always needs the other. Ho la la, Didier, it’s as beautiful as a cliché.