France captain Hugo Lloris said the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup would represent the beginning of a new generation within the national team, with Kylian Mbappe at its head.
The 2018 champions were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Sunday night in one of the most thrilling finals in tournament history.
Mbappe scored a hat-trick on the night, with two goals in 97 seconds from the 80th minute wiping out Argentina’s two-goal advantage and sending the game into extra-time.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 23, struck again in the additional period to make it 3-3, becoming only the second player to register a hat-trick in a World Cup final. England’s Geoff Hurst is the other, for England in 1966.
Mbappe, who starred for France en route to the 2018 title, finished the tournament as top scorer, with eight goals.
Speaking after the defeat, Lloris said the tournament was “a passing of the baton between one generation coming to the final stage of their careers to a new generation led by Kylian”.
“He showed strong leadership in this tournament and even more so in this final," added Lloris. "We must keep this France team at the top.”
Lloris, 36, was bidding to become the first captain to lift two World Cups. The Tottenham goalkeeper is his country’s all-time leading appearance-maker, passing the mark in Qatar. As it stands, he has 145 caps for France.
Asked about the final, Lloris said: “It was like a boxing match: we went blow for blow. We didn't give up. We needed a winner, and it was decided on penalties. That's always cruel. We are empty.
Argentina beat France in World Cup final: Player ratings
“We could have let it slip at 2-0, but we continued to believe that we could turn the game around. We must congratulate Argentina who played a great tournament and a great final.
“There were a lot of great players in both sides. But it’s true that Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappe are very special and I think they were top [in the final], they were top for their team … when you are on the wrong side, it’s always difficult to find the words, it is always painful.”
However, Lloris would not comment too extensively on his international future, saying only: “I need, like everyone, to take a step back, to gain perspective on things.
“We'll see in a few weeks. We're leaving a tournament like this one drained and even more so after what happened tonight. We don't have much strength left. We just want to be back with our families.”
Didier Deschamps also revealed that he will take his time before deciding on whether he will stay on as France manager after his team's heartbreaking defeat.
The 54-year-old, in charge since 2012, is now out of contract but French Football Federation President Noel Le Graet had said Deschamps would be offered new terms if he reached the semi-finals.
Asked whether the result of the final would influence a decision on his future, Deschamps said: “Even with a different result I would not have given an answer today.”
“Obviously I am very sad. I will have a meeting with the president at the start of the new year and you will know after that,” he added.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
