Before kick-off, the excitement swells in both camps and everyone goes about their prognosis, between football analysis and chauvinism. Only one consensus: the Blues risk giving the Three Lions a hard time.
“England will win the World Cup!” This Thursday evening, nestled in the heart of The Long Hop pub, in the fifth arrondissement of Paris, Luke, a 21-year-old Englishman, looks confident. Saturday at 8 p.m., during the quarter-final of the championship, his team will face one of his historic adversaries: France. A match with a particular flavor, where the fans of the two countries seem to compete with teasing, the British going to call until the «boycott» croissants across the Channel. “I don’t care, I still eat cheese and baguettes”, smiled Luke. Nevertheless, on the sporting level, the competition is fiercer. The rivalry between France and England “may exist. They are two great footballing nations. confirmed the captain of the Blues, Hugo Lloris during a press conference this Friday morning. “We are preparing to meet the expectations of a World Cup quarter-final, regardless of the opponent. Playing against a great nation like England, it announces a very great match.
And two days before kick-off, the supporters are only talking about that. “We argued all day,” recounts Luke, a pint of beer in hand and surrounded by two friends. In front of him, Alec, 21, of French nationality. The young athlete was born in France, but has lived in England since his teenage years. so that he has “spent more time there than on French soil”. But it doesn’t matter, in football, his heart leans “always for France”, he says, hand on his chest. A patriotism put to the test: for his English companions, the star player of the France team, Kylian Mbappé, is only a “crying baby” who “would talk and complain too much”. “There is no more respect”, Alec laughs, shaking his head. Easy jokes that barely hide the excitement of the English in the face of the prowess of the attacker during the World Cup. “I’m only going to say one thing: Kylian Mbappé, five goals and two assists”, counterattack Alec, very serious. “I’m not worried, Kyle Walker will get it! It will be on him all the time,” sneers Luke.
Mbappé against the Manchester City defender, this is the other hoped-for duel. The two players, real arrows on the pitch, alternate between 35 and 38 km/h and are thus among the fastest footballers in the world. A running speed that quickly puts others to the test. But the one that Luke and Josh fear even more is a certain Olivier Giroud, top scorer in the history of the Blues. “I really like Giroud, I find him really good, concedes Luke. I’m a little afraid of him. He is strong, he makes no mistakes … While in front we have Harry Maguire, who is not very good. For the past few months, the English footballer has been targeted on social networks for his game considered too slow and technically clumsy. “But we have a young team, we will win for sure”, cuts in to Josh, who by day works in a truck manufacturing plant.
“France is so well organized, the bar is high”
In the bar, the atmosphere is warm. Some play billiards, others enjoy a burger and fries under a huge British flag hanging on the stairs. Among the crowd of French people, the Briton Madeleine, 18, on vacation in Paris for twenty-four hours. If this one is not a big fan of football, she follows with great interest the world in Qatar. “I support England of course, but to be honest it won’t do me much if we lose, explains the young woman with a detached tone. And then… after seeing the French performances, I’m not really reassured about our chances of being able to win. I know we have a good team but France is so well organized, the bar is high.
An analysis shared by Max, his Australian table neighbor: “The English team is good but the coach doesn’t know what he’s doing.” The remark does not fail to make Madeleine wince, who hastens to defend the “good work” England coach Gareth Southgate. However, even in Great Britain, it is taxed with “bad manager” by the press. For Madeleine, her country will lose 3 to 1 against France this Saturday. Unthinkable for his compatriots Josh and Luke, who are betting on a 2-1 for England. Josh even stating that the Three Lions will win on penalties. “But don’t fight, cannot help intervening Amine, another member of the group. Anyway, Morocco will win in the end!”