France’s build-up to the World Cup was dominated by talk of the so-called “holders’ curse” and Didier Deschamps’ uncertain future.
A few weeks later Les Bleus are on the verge of becoming the first reigning champions to reach the World Cup final since Brazil in 1998 – you have to go back a further 50 years to the last time a European nation achieved such a feat when Italy did so in 1938.
Deschamps’ preparations were not helped by injuries to important players, but France’s ruthlessness going forward has inspired another deep run into the tournament after seeing off England in the quarter-finals despite arguably being second best.
Goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud saw France beat the Three Lions 2-1, but it could have been much different had Harry Kane’s late penalty not sailed over Hugo Lloris’ bar.
France head into Wednesday’s semi-final at Al Bayt Stadium against Morocco as overwhelming favourites.
It will be the defending champions’ seventh World Cup semi-final. After losing their first three, each one they have contested since – in 1998, 2006 and 2018 – has ended in French celebrations.
Given the previous three holders before France crashed out in the group stage (Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014 and Germany in 2018), Deschamps is pleased to have avoided humiliation – but they still have ambitions to satisfy.
“We’ve got to the semis, closer to the final, and this was an important achievement, so we can believe in ourselves, but we have a big game on Wednesday,” he said.
“We can be satisfied with what we’ve done so far, even though we want to go further. In the past, the world champions haven’t always done well in World Cups and we’ve overcome that challenge, but we have an important game on Wednesday.”