French fans feel the pain as they see World Cup glory slip away
'We woke up too late. We showed a real strength of character, but when you get to penalties, it's 50-50'
Dismayed French soccer fans stared blankly at television screens around France after Argentina snatched a penalty shootout victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.
In a packed Paris sports bar, some stood paralyzed, shaking their heads in disbelief at a match that was dominated by Lionel Messi and Argentina for 80 minutes before a comeback led by French star Kylian Mbappe gave fans hope that they could steal an unlikely win.
"It's so disappointing. We came back and believed we could do it," said supporter Romain Cyne as a small group of Argentines nearby celebrated their victory on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw during regular and extra time.
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The French had seen little reason to cheer as their team struggled to get even a shot on the net before Mbappe scored two quick goals in the 80th and 81st minutes. Shouts of "Allez les Bleus (Go on the Blues)" rang out in the bar and beer was hurled into the air after the 23-year-old forced the game into extra time.
The match again looked to slip away after Argentina’s Lionel Messi willed the ball over the goal line in the 108th minute, only to be answered by Mbappe with a penalty kick in the 118th minute to secure a hat-trick and send the game to penalty kicks.
This time, Argentina made no mistakes.
"We woke up too late. We showed a real strength of character, but when you get to penalties, it's 50-50," said disappointed French fan Jordan Tambutte.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who watched the match from the stands, later consoled Mbappe on the pitch.
"'Les Bleus' let us dream," the president tweeted.
