“I’m worried for other countries” – Patrice Evra explains why France can hurt other teams with ‘anger’ after 2022 FIFA World Cup loss
France lost to Argentina via penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. It was a tough loss for French fans to digest. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick during the nail-biting contest but his valiant efforts went in vain.
Former France left-back Patrice Evra has now claimed that the defeat might ignite a new fire under Les Bleus' belly. He further added that French players could take their anger out on other teams.
In his exclusive column for Betfair, the former Manchester United full-back wrote:
"I'm worried for other countries. I said if we won in the final we would go on to win the next one. Now, I think there will be even more appetite to do that, there will be more anger."
Superstars like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and N'Golo Kante were missing from Didier Deschamps' team during the tournament due to injuries. However, that arguably didn't affect their performances as they reached the final. It goes to show the depth the European heavyweights currently have at their disposal.
France really went into a World Cup without Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Christopher Nkunku, N’Golo Kanté, Lucas Hernandez, Mike Maignan and Presnel Kimpembe and still came within two penalties of winning it all…they’re going to be a problem for a while.
Evra pointed it out, writing:
"France didn't play with the Ballon d'Or winner Benzema, they didn't play with Kante or Pogba. We've got so much potential, it's scary. Nobody expected France to get to the final. We were there and we were so close to winning it again."
Evra furthered that players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are aging and could retire soon. Les Bleus, meanwhile, have a young Mbappe in their ranks and other younger players will complement the 24-year-old in the coming years.
"If you look at every team, they've all got their best player, but they're getting old. I think when you look at other countries, Messi could retire from Argentina and I don't think Ronaldo will pursue another World Cup with Portugal."
He added:
"If you look at all the teams, the only GOAT that is young is Mbappe. He's also got a young squad around him. The future looks bright for France."
Didier Deschamps is yet to commit to his future as the France coach after the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Didier Deschamps has turned the French team around since taking over in 2012. Les Bleus have won the FIFA World Cup in 2018 with Deschamps at the helm.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup winning team's captain has also led the side to the finals in 2022. However, he is yet to commit to his future as the coach of the team. Negotiations are expected to be done at the end of the year or early next year.
#Qatar2022
Didier Deschamps keeps all options open for his future: “I have a meeting with the FA president at the beginning of the year. I will discuss with him”. 🇫🇷 #Qatar2022
“I would have said the same if we had won, it takes time”. https://t.co/0wtsMiBvPq