'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABcAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQgQAAEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQRAAUHCCMxUQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAxEBAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACESFC/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDH2x4X3sVyRrIqaoDmMsOKZSHlQKsqHxelrKz133Ehlt5uREQHAQxuYd0X2o+MYbZK03zFwKz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Despite Kylian Mbappe’s heroics, France fell short in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, losing 4-2 on penalties (3-3 after extra time) to Argentina on Sunday (18 December). Led by their sensational skipper Lionel Messi, Argentina brought the FIFA World Cup back to their country after a 36-year-long drought.
Argentina completely outplayed France in the opening exchanges. Their passes were crispier, they moved better, and they won every single 50/50 duel. Their dominance paid off in the 23rd minute when Angel Di Maria was brought down by Ousmane Dembele inside the French box. The referee pointed to the spot and Messi calmly put it away to give his team the lead in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Thirteen minutes later, Di Maria got on the end of a blistering Argentine counter-attack and applied a deft touch to take the ball over the line, beyond Hugo Lloris.
Trending
The defending champions were toyed around with in the first half and things remained unchanged for most of the second 45. France finally got wind in their sails when Nicolas Otamendi tripped Randal Kolo Muani inside the box. Mbappe stepped up to take the resulting penalty and hammered it home to give his team a lifeline.
A minute later, the Paris Saint-Germain superstar received a chipped through ball from substitute Marcus Thuram inside the Argentine box. He swung his foot at it without hesitation and calmly found the bottom right corner of Emiliano Martinez’s goal. With the scoreline firmly poised at 2-2, the game went into extra time.
Argentina, who were all over the place after conceding two goals, found their footing once again and put their noses in front in the 108th minute. Messi, inevitably led by example, bundling the ball over the line from Lautaro Martinez’s rebound.
France, a mere two minutes away from defeat, found their voices again when Gonzalo Montiel used his hand to block Mbappe’s shot inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot and Mbappe pierced the Argentine net with his thunderous penalty. Kolo Muani had a glorious chance to win the game for Les Bleus in injury time, but Martinez rushed off his line and made himself big to deny him.
With the game at 3-3 at the end of extra time, the game went to penalties. Mbappe gave his team the perfect start, but Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni failed to convert the next two spot kicks. The misses turned out to be decisive as La Albiceleste put away all four of their penalties to seize a 4-2 victory in the shootout.
It was a heartbreaking end for Mbappe and Co. but it was not all bad for Didier Deschamps’ men. Here are three French players who fired on all cylinders and two who should have done considerably better in their defeat to Argentina at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday:
Performed: Eduardo Camavinga
Brought into the game in the 71st minute, Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga injected power and urgency into the French midfield. He fought for every ball, created chances for his teammates, and held his own in one-on-one duels.
The young midfielder played two key passes, drew three fouls, pulled off a dribble, and completed 19 passes (90.5% accuracy). Defensively, he won seven ground duels and attempted three tackles.
Underperformed: Jules Kounde
Jules Kounde was deployed on the right side of France’s four-man defense on Sunday. The Barcelona center-back failed to produce the performance his team needed, losing possession cheaply and rarely making inroads into the opposition third. Kounde was also completely out of position for Argentina’s second goal, as Di Maria came in from the left flank and doubled his team’s lead.
At the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Kounde lost possession a staggering 20 times. He also lost six duels, committed two fouls, misplaced his only attempted cross, and was dribbled past twice.
Performed: Randal Kolo Muani
Introduced for Olivier Giroud in the 41st minute, Randal Kolo Muani gave France an edge going forward. He drew a foul from Otamendi in the 78th minute, winning the penalty that kicked off the French resurgence. Kolo Muani also kept his cool and confidently put away his penalty in the shootout to keep the game alive for a smidgen longer.
He, however, failed to convert a one-on-one opportunity in the injury time of extra time, but it was primarily down to Martinez’s sensational goalkeeping ability. Against the 2022 FIFA World Cup winners, Muani completed a dribble, won five of six aerial duels, drew four fouls, and attempted three tackles.
Underperformed: Ousmane Dembele
Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele was all over the place on the right flank. He failed to keep up with Di Maria in the 23rd minute and immaturely clipped his heel from behind in the 23rd minute. The referee awarded Argentina a penalty, which Messi put away. He was also weak in duels, lost possession cheaply, and never looked like making life difficult for the South Americans.
Before being withdrawn in the 41st minute, Dembele lost all five of his duels, lost possession seven times, played only nine accurate passes, and was dribbled past twice.
Performed: Kylian Mbappe
France’s standout performer by a country mile, Kylian Mbappe nearly took Les Bleus to a historic victory against Argentina on Sunday. Tightly marked by Argentine defenders, Mbappe came on his own late in the second half. His spot kick in the 80th minute was as confident as ever, with him beating Martinez for pace and finding the bottom-left corner of his goal.
A minute later, he showed the magical touch that made him one of the best in the world, dispatching a venomous volley to equalize for Les Bleus. In the 118th minute, Mbappe became the first player to score a FIFA World Cup hat-trick since 1966, sending Martinez the wrong way with his penalty.
Mbappe was also lethal in the penalty shootout, slotting his penalty into the bottom-left corner to beat Martinez for the third time on the night from the spot. He ended the tournament with eight goals, clinching the FIFA Golden Boot award ahead of PSG teammate Messi (seven goals).
Hat-trick aside, Mbappe won four ground duels, completed four dribbles, and delivered an accurate long ball in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
