After losing to Argentina in an amazing World Cup final that has created enormous pride in the team, France’s football players are anticipated to meet fans in Paris on Monday.
After their jet lands at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport at 6 pm (1700 GMT), according to Amelie Oudea-Castera, the French capital’s Place de la Concorde, the athletes intend to visit.
“They want to go to thank their supporters, to spend some time on Place de la Concorde which they have chosen in theory with the French Football Federation,” she told France Inter radio.
She noted however that the idea had not yet been confirmed.
After a thrilling match that ended 3-3, France fell on penalties on Sunday, allowing Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi to win the World Cup in what is likely to be his final appearance at the event.
“Invited to the coronation of Lionel Messi, Les Bleus were heroic,” said L’Equipe sports newspaper, taking a magnanimous tone that was mirrored elsewhere in France.
Most commentators hailed the drama-filled game that was dominated by Argentina for the first 80 minutes before a quickfire double by Kylian Mbappe ignited France.
“Proud of our Bleus,” read a headline on the front page of Le Parisien newspaper with a picture of the team standing together during the penalty shootout.
“Football is often more than a sport. In the run-up to Christmas, this World Cup has been a magnificent present,” the right-wing newspaper Le Figaro said in an editorial.
A record-breaking number of 24.08 million viewers watched the game on TF1 television on Sunday, according to the broadcaster.
Following the game, 227 people were detained in France, 47 of them were in Paris, according to the interior ministry.
