You could say the 4-1 result over Norway was a bit of a letdown given what happened off the field. Word is that FIFA would not let the French side wear armbands for Deschamps’ mother, and it has made for some hard questions on the right way to handle personal mourning when the whole world is watching. It has been an otherwise unblemished run in the group stage, but this one ruling has left players and supporters wanting some straight answers.
Why the decision made waves
The Athletic has it that the FFF put in a request with FIFA so the lads could wear the armbands after Deschamps had to sit out the Norway match. They were told no. Before we even knew who France would be up against in the knockouts, the news of the refusal was all anyone could talk about, upstaging what happened in the 90 minutes.
Then there was the matter of the silence
Even the moment of silence before the game was a head-scratcher. The FFF first had us believe it was for Deschamps’ mother, then put the record straight: FIFA had made it clear it was in memory of those in the Venezuela earthquake. A case of mixed messages on a night that was already raw for the team.
France put in a performance as an under-study takes over
Deschamps found out his mother had died on Tuesday and was with her for the funeral, so he was not in the stands. Guy Stephan, his right-hand man for years, was in for him and made a point of leaving a bouquet on the touchline. Stephan says the boss will be back with the boys for training on Saturday.
Out on the field, they made sure of it. Ousmane Dembele, the current Ballon d’Or holder, put in the second-quickest hat-trick in the competition to put the 4-1 to bed and secure first place. That means a date with one of the top third-placed sides at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday.
Norway make changes for the last one in the group
Norway left 10 from the starting line-up at home, Haaland and Odegaard among them. And they didn’t come on either. You can put down the way the game went to that, but France’s edge made for a one-sided affair where the only thing that mattered was how they handled themselves.
An era is coming to a close
At 57, Deschamps has put in the word that he is done with the job once the tournament is over. He has been in the hot seat since 2012 and has seen it all: a World Cup in 2018, a heartbreaker in the 2022 final with Argentina. Fourteen years is a long time to be in charge.
You could tell he was missed, but the squad held their heads high. Even in the stands, the fans put up a banner for the manager, which says it all about the kind of bond they have in this camp.
In brief
The highlights from a complicated day:
– No armbands for France, per reports from FIFA
– The pre-match silence was for the victims in Venezuela
– Stephan called the shots in Deschamps’ stead
– A 4-1 over Norway to finish on top
Looking ahead
We have reached out to FIFA for some sense on the armband and silence situation. What they have to say will be of interest well past this one game. In the meantime, the FFF and the players are putting it behind them and getting ready for the manager’s return.
Now it is a case of making the most of the momentum and heading into the last 32. There is a knockout in New Jersey on Tuesday, so the focus will be on the job at hand, even if you are still wondering why FIFA took the position they did.
