“We can’t do worse! It’s a World Cup final! Kylian Mbappé sounded the revolt in the locker room at half-time in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, who then led 2-0, dominating the apathetic Blues.
Until then, in the competition, the executives Raphaël Varane, Olivier Giroud and to a lesser extent Hugo Lloris had been those who encouraged their young partners, according to the images of the documentary “Thank you les Bleus”, broadcast Tuesday evening on TF1 and which retraces the epic of the French team in Qatar.
“It’s something like this every four years”
But, while the dream of a third star seems well compromised, it is Kylian Mbappé, 23, who sounds the revolt: “It’s a World Cup, guys, it’s the match of a lifetime ! Anyway, we can’t do worse than what we did. We go back to the field: either we let them play dumb, or we put a little intensity, we get into the duels and we do something else, guys. It’s a World Cup final! We are trailing by two goals. We can come back! Oh guys, it’s every four years, something like that, ”he says to his teammates.
In the process, it is the dean of the Blues, the substitute goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who, from the top of his 37 years, gives voice. “Now guys, it’s done, we lose 2-0. We’ve all done it once, turn the game around. And it is possible. But you have to go on the field with another state of mind, guys. It’s not possible to do that! »
“They are playing a fucking World Cup final”
Coach Didier Deschamps, who has already made two substitutions even before half-time, takes the floor, visibly overwhelmed. “Guys, I’ll tell you without getting upset. Do you know the difference? It’s that they, over there, they’re playing a fucking World Cup final and we’re not playing it! »
The rest is a French team which returns to the field with more conviction and commitment until obtaining a penalty which Kylian Mbappé will convert in the 80th minute. The first goal of his historic hat-trick which will make the final, lost by the Blues on penalties (3-3 after, 4-2 on pens), go down in history.