Mbappé scored a beautiful goal today!
Update: Just learned he left the game with an injury.
That brings me to something I’ve been meaning to discuss.
Many people might tip the likes of Spain and Argentina as the heavy favourites for the World Cup, but I actually think it’s France. Why? Let me explain—and it’s not simply because they have a great team that no one can beat. Yes, they do have a strong squad and a nice collection of talent. But my reasoning has more to do with Mbappé himself.
Not only is he playing better than ever, but I also feel like he has unfinished business after the dramatic way France lost to Argentina. To score a hat-trick, take the game to penalties, score again in the shootout, and still lose? That’s as crushing as it gets. We all remember the look of disappointment on his face, being consoled by the French president.
It’s not much different—though for different reasons—from what Pelé and Ronaldo went through before coming back to win the World Cup in 1970 and 2002, respectively. They both had something to prove—unfinished business.
Of course, I’d personally love for France to eliminate Argentina in the quarterfinals or semifinals, then meet Brazil in the final—and lose to them! After all, Brazil has its own vendetta against France that goes all the way back to 1986. In fact, France has eliminated Brazil from the World Cup once every decade—except for the 2010s
Update: Just learned he left the game with an injury.
That brings me to something I’ve been meaning to discuss.
Many people might tip the likes of Spain and Argentina as the heavy favourites for the World Cup, but I actually think it’s France. Why? Let me explain—and it’s not simply because they have a great team that no one can beat. Yes, they do have a strong squad and a nice collection of talent. But my reasoning has more to do with Mbappé himself.
Not only is he playing better than ever, but I also feel like he has unfinished business after the dramatic way France lost to Argentina. To score a hat-trick, take the game to penalties, score again in the shootout, and still lose? That’s as crushing as it gets. We all remember the look of disappointment on his face, being consoled by the French president.
It’s not much different—though for different reasons—from what Pelé and Ronaldo went through before coming back to win the World Cup in 1970 and 2002, respectively. They both had something to prove—unfinished business.
Of course, I’d personally love for France to eliminate Argentina in the quarterfinals or semifinals, then meet Brazil in the final—and lose to them! After all, Brazil has its own vendetta against France that goes all the way back to 1986. In fact, France has eliminated Brazil from the World Cup once every decade—except for the 2010s
