In a Parc des Princes full of history and emotion, the French team met Ukraine for a decisive match in the race for the 2026 World Cup. The Blues, who could validate their ticket for the World Cup in the event of victory, did not tremble and won (4-0) at the end of a perfectly controlled evening. In a sporting context marked by a reshuffled eleven and the rare opportunity to obtain qualification on the penultimate day, Didier Deschamps’ men assumed their status. Supported by a full and attentive Park, they put in a convincing performance, particularly during a second period that was much more successful than the first, ending the evening with a great success and the assurance of seeing America next summer. But this meeting was not an evening like any other.
Ten years to the day after the attacks of November 13, 2015, Paris and all of France experienced a day of tributes, contemplation and remembrance. Throughout the day, commemorations took place in the capital, from official ceremonies at places marked by the attacks to moments of contemplation organized by institutions and victims’ associations. The atmosphere was heavy with symbols, ten years after a tragic date which remains engraved in national memory. The Parc des Princes, one of the places indirectly associated with this story, would naturally become one of the highlights of this unique day. In this particular context, the players of the France team had clearly expressed their desire to make this match a moment of tribute. Aware of the emotional significance of the date and the impact of the attacks on an entire generation of French people, the Blues were keen to dedicate their performance to the victims, their families, and all those who were directly or indirectly affected.
The Blues pay tribute “with 132 stars”
Their commitment before kick-off, their attitude during the ceremonies held at the stadium and their determination on the pitch reflected this desire to honor the memory of November 13 in their own way. Several players had also insisted on the importance of not dissociating the sporting performance from the human and commemorative context which surrounded the meeting, including Kylian MbappĂ© in the mixed zone: “lots of emotions with communion. I think I made quite a few selections. Unfortunately, there were many minutes of silence. I think it was one of the minutes of silence where the majority of people, almost the entire stadium, respected the minute of silence. This shows how much it matters to the French. There was this unity throughout the day, we saw all the festivities there were, the communion, I think we are not detached from that. We wanted to show that this is what matters most today. Even if we said it and I said it yesterday on behalf of the France team, that we will try to put smiles on people’s faces for 90 minutes, but the event of the day was not us, it was all these people who lost loved ones, who lost a father, a mother, a child, a brother, a sister, a loved one. These are the people we always think of with a lot of emotion and a lot of solidarity because we have affected our country and we are all united when we attack France.“.
Beyond the qualification and the impressive score, this victory had a much deeper resonance: “it’s always a special evening. All our thoughts were with the victims and their families too. As Kylian (MbappĂ©) said at a press conference, we had all our thoughts for them and that’s it, it’s not necessarily a happy day at the start and we tried to do everything we could to make it a special evening. Celebrate in a sober way? Of course, we must also respect everything that happened and it is also important to do it in a sober manner.», Explained Lucas Digne in the mixed zone. “We must not trivialize a qualification for the French team. I’m not a big expressive person, I admit, especially here, but it’s a lot of pride and I appreciate it. You have to appreciate these moments because we will be there. Especially since I didn’t have the opportunity to see America when I was a player. There is joy even if it is contained because the context was heavy and heavy. To have been able to put a smile on your face in the space of a match thanks to this qualification, that’s life, so much the better», concluded Didier Deschamps at a press conference. It is this rare mixture of sporting performance and collective emotion that marked the evening. A controlled match, a united stadium, and a France group which knew how to combine ambition and respect for memory. The Blues not only validated their ticket for the World Cup, but they offered a moment of communion, appeasement and solidarity in a Parc des Princes inhabited by memory and dignity.
