FIFA World Cup | With Mbappé and Deschamps, France's future looks just fine
The Hindu
The defeat in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final will sting, but the foundations of France's national football team are solid with just under four years to go until the next World Cup in 2026
France played its part in one of the most memorable finishes in World Cup history, even though the defending champions failed to retain the title. Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick of goals all came late — first in regulation, then in extra time — and helped give France a 3-3 draw with Argentina in the final.
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In the penalty shootout, it seemed destined for Lionel Messi to win his first World Cup at the age of 35, not Mbappé to win his second at 23.
Still, the foundations of France's national football team are solid with just under four years to go until the next World Cup in 2026.
France outperformed expectations even as the defending champion and the world’s fourth-ranked team.
A run of poor results in the UEFA Nations League, including a home loss in June to Denmark, plus a litany of injuries before and after the squad for Qatar was selected kept high hopes in check.
Then, in the last training session before the flight to Doha, forward Christopher Nkunku was injured by a teammate.
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