Liberte, Egalite, Mbappe. Or maybe it was Liberte, Egalite, Olise. France delivered another mission statement of a performance, another wonderful endorsement of their footballing philosophy taking them closer to a return to New York for a third consecutive World Cup final.
They are making history and making memories. The scorer par excellence and the creator nonpareil brought their artistry to the evisceration of Sweden. One day, perhaps, Graham Potter and his team may be able to cushion their disappointment with the knowledge they witnessed something special from the same pitch.
In Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, France have two candidates for the Golden Ball and if a certain diminutive Argentinian provides competition, this was an illustration of the contrasting strengths of Les Bleus’ devastating double act. Mbappe, with unerring brilliance, got the goals that almost seem a guarantee on such a stage, a third brace of the tournament taking him to nine in his last five World Cup matches.
Denied time and again by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Olise got everything but the goal; arguably, he was inches from scoring the best of the tournament with an acrobatic volley, but he showed surgical precision with defence-piercing passes. Maybe no one in the global game does it better these days. There was something fitting that France’s third goal came from a glorious Olise pass and a trademark Mbappe finish. It is a formula that could carry them to glory at the MetLife.
For a manager whose tournament has been tarnished by tragedy, a return came with a welcome from the French footballing family. His captain Mbappe greeted him with a hug when he made the breakthrough. His team delivered an exhibition. Deschamps, for so long damned with faint praise, should be missed when he moves on.
If France played with the handbrake on in Euro 2024, now Deschamps has released it. He is often described as a pragmatist, but perhaps, late in his tenure, he has discovered a purism. Or maybe it is just pragmatic to unleash his talents.
He has enviable options in attack. Many a manager must wish he could choose between Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola. Deschamps opted for the latter to complete his front four and saw the winger marry his scintillating speed with a lovely goal.
It was sandwiched by Mbappe’s latest double as a roadrunner left a record-breaker in the dust behind him. In the space of eight days, Miroslav Klose has gone from being the highest ever scorer in World Cups to occupying third place. He was demoted by Mbappe, whose second of the day was his 18th in all, his sixth of the tournament, his fourth in New York. He may be France’s greatest gift to the Big Apple since the Statue of Liberty.
He is now only one behind Lionel Messi in the all-time standings, level with the Argentina captain in a battle for the Golden Boot that also includes Erling Haaland. Olise, meanwhile, already has five assists which, in a historical context, puts him only one adrift of Pele.
Ousmane Dembele has four in the United States, all for Mbappe. The latest came just before the interval, from a quickly taken corner, enabling Mbappe to whip and curl a shot in. Like the skipper’s second goal, it came from his preferred inside-left channel.
Mbappe may have been a contentious choice as captain by Deschamps but now he is the personification of this team. The first half consisted of two halves: Sweden were relatively comfortable in the first, overwhelmed in the second. As they discovered, there is something seductive about France when they up the pace. It is slick and quick, a team going through the gears. Sweden were the victims of a sleek, stylish assault.
Initially, it seemed France were finding ways not to score. Mbappe had a goal disallowed for a narrow offside call and then shot against the near post. Olise’s bicycle kick rebounded off the other post, Dembele shooting wide from the rebound. Each of his hat-trick against Norway may have been a harder chance. Zetterstrom clawed a shot from Olise past the post. Seconds later, however, the Derby goalkeeper was beaten by Mbappe.
After 15 shots before the break, France delivered a couple of classy goals after it. Olise supplied a penetrative pass, the unfortunate Gustaf Lagerbielke ending up on his knees in his attempt to cut it out, before Barcola’s first-time finish. Then, from a spectacular team move, Olise found Mbappe; he found the Swedish net.
Appropriately, Mbappe and Olise exited the game together, both taken off to a deafening ovation. Deschamps’s version of taking pity on Sweden was to introduce Rayan Cherki and Jean-Philippe Mateta. The beleaguered, battered Swedes may reflect on the chance Elliot Stroud blasted wide on the stroke of half-time. In reality, though, they were just outclassed.
And so, after the cull of the European superpowers saw Germany and the Netherlands fall, France surged on. They will take the tricolore to Philadelphia for Independence Day, though not for the expected neighbourly clash with Julian Nagelsmann’s team. Although maybe Germany’s elimination by Paraguay was just a cunning piece of planning to avoid being embarrassed by Mbappe and Olise.
