During a day marked by tensions, low attendance and increased security, the geopolitical context overshadowed a meeting where the French national team, still deprived of Kylian Mbappé, needed a point to validate its qualification. for the quarter-finals.
In the tumult and noise which have often surrounded this match in recent weeks, we could almost forget that the France-Israel match, which will take place this Thursday (8:45 p.m.) at the Stade de France, is not a geopolitical summit but simply a football match. This marks the fifth day of the opening phase of the League of Nations, where the stakes will not attract the crowd: the objective is simple prestige for the team of Ran Ben Shimon, red lantern of his group after having lost its four previous matches and doomed to relegation to League B. For the French team, it is a question of definitively validating its ticket for the quarters, which will take place in March in a round-trip format, even before concluding their campaign in Italy on Sunday.
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One point from two games… This brings to mind another November – 1993 – when Jean-Pierre Papin and his teammates failed in their quest to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, recording the only defeat in history against the Israelis ( 2-3) at the Parc des Princes before collapsing against Bulgaria.
Thirty-one years later, the impact of a defeat would undoubtedly be less traumatic but would contribute to a growing feeling of disenchantment which has accompanied Didier Deschamps and his team since September. A force of 4,000 police officers and gendarmes will be present around and inside the stadium for just over 20,000 spectators, making this attendance the lowest for the Blues in this stadium since the 36,842 people present during a friendly against New Zealand in 2003.
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It is difficult to downplay the role of security concerns and political protests in this figure, particularly a week after the attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans on the streets of Amsterdam, and with the Israeli government advising its citizens to stay home. them. However, it also reflects a passion that has faded somewhat, as evidenced by falling television audiences (3.9 million and 4.7 million viewers) in October where the absence and subsequent escapade of Kylian Mbappé in Stockholm attracted more attention than the victories against Israel (1-4) previously in Budapest and Belgium (1-2).
It’s a shame, because although the September defeat against Italy (1-3) raised concerns, the three matches played since without their captain – adding the victory against Belgium in Lyon (2-0) – showed a team returning to its collective foundations. Although particularly unexciting, the team is solid and wins, relying in particular on the speed of its offensive players.
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This time, in addition to Mbappé, the French coach must deal with the absences of Ousmane Dembélé and Aurélien Tchouaméni. This will be the opportunity to see Kingsley Coman, N’Golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot, but also Michael Olise, Soumaïla Koné and Warren Zaire-Emery, in a competition that Deschamps wishes to use as a testing ground. So far, it has been particularly fruitful for Randal Kolo Muani, who has scored seven goals and three assists in his last seven starts, and for Bradley Barcola, who brings his youth. The defensive and midfield sectors remain works in progress where the two matches this week should allow for more rotations.
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With a victory valued at €750,000 and the prospect of a windfall of at least €7 million in the event of reaching the semi-finals in June, the pragmatists could argue that the FFF could help finance security at one point. where the State seeks to replenish its coffers. With the assurance of a qualifying group consisting of only four teams (one qualifier and one play-off) if they qualify and being the play-off team if they finish first in their group, Didier Deschamps will be keen to see how this week could pave the way to the 2026 World Cup with 48 teams. After all, deep down, it remains a sport.
