The English are preparing to face France and compete in strategies to neutralize the PSG striker, who has already scored five goals during the World Cup and terrifies the British media.
While waiting for the quarter-finals, the English took advantage of a few evenings without matches to develop bets and theories of all kinds. Sitting in an overheated Wetherspoon – a chain of pubs known for its awful carpets and cheap beers – Nolan and Tyrone reminisce about previous World Cups. This time they believe “finally have their chance”. England haven’t won since 1966, and many of those in the bar were unborn. “We have a good team, young, better than those of previous years.” They are not serene for all that: “It’s going to be tight!” Everyone has their own commentary – the Brits are never more talkative than when it comes to football.
For Martin, who has not missed a single game, taking advantage of his days of teleworking to follow the competition closely, there remains a major problem. “Certainly, both teams are recording good performances. But there is a difference, in the form of Mbappé. None of our players are up to his level, and if he is in good form on Saturday, it could completely ruin our prospects of winning. I hope he will have a rotten match!”
Kyle vs. Kylian
Between pints, Drew nods. “It must be admitted that Mbappé impresses. He’s already won the World Cup, he’s hyper-fast, and you get the impression that he has absolute confidence in himself. He plays as if he had no doubts! Words that echo the tabloids, which spent the week painting a portrait of the young Frenchman “from a hot suburb of Paris” until his status as “superstar at 23” (The Sun). With childhood photos, key statistics, potential girlfriends and words from his parents. Without forgetting images of the 2005 riots in Paris and intertitles on burning cars, even though Kylian Mbappé was only 6 years old at the time. The newspaper even ended up finding a cousin of the footballer, an enthusiastic teenager who shares the same first name and allowed them to assure that “Kylian Mbappé lives in Leicester, and yes… he supports the Three Lions”.
Redemption could come from the side of Kyle Walker – Manchester City full-back, as bearded and tattooed as Mbappé looks young and smooth. He embodies “hope”and would be the only one fast enough to counter the “Flying French” and its bursts of speed “terrifying”. “It’s not an England match against Mbappé, it’s an England match against France”, saw fit to remind Walker who “will not roll out the red carpet” to its French rival. Or maybe a Kyle vs. Kylian match, according to the commentators?
“I will not be impressed by that”
Smart, Joe will not let himself be fooled: “Mbappé is a scarecrow! The media wave it around to scare us, but we have a much more balanced team. I won’t be put off by that.” For him, the Cup «arrive» et “If we win this match, we win the World Cup!” “Whatever the result, it will not be a surprise, concludes Nolan, philosopher. Whether England or France win, it will be well done and deserved. He has one last hope: “No team manages to keep the World Cup and the French have to end up losing.” Why not, therefore, against their best English enemies.