France’s national day as Les Bleus face Spain, unity builds around a solid collective | OneFootball

France face Spain in Dallas on Tuesday in a World Cup semi-final, a unifying national moment.

La Marseillaise will carry extra weight with a place in the final at stake. According to Le Progres, this is the first time such a fixture has fallen on 14 July, the 48-team format pushing the calendar deeper into the month, said sport historian Paul Dietschy.

Dietschy casts the anthem as joyful patriotism, a point when the nation feels in play on a pitch, and recalls how 1998 reshaped France’s bond with Les Bleus. He adds that the World Cup lets different Frances share the same emotions.

Despite awkward kick-off times, France’s meeting with Morocco drew 16 million viewers, and pride now sits far from the 2010 Knysna trauma. The squad have also resisted controversy, including racist attacks from foreign leaders.

Confidence is rising with each round. A sports barometer last Wednesday put 73% backing France to win, up five points in a week.

Analyst Loïc Ravenel notes an attack stacked with elite talents, a group forged by 2018 success and the 2022 final, and players thriving at leading European clubs, hallmarks of French youth development.

Fans echo the mood. Hugues, 50, from Riedisheim, says he has not enjoyed a France team this much since 1998, praising relentless pressing and incisive passing. Charles, 80, from Muttersholtz, lauds a cohesive side with a fearsome front four and strong depth.

Source: Le Progres