Didier Deschamps: an apology. There was a theory that only one man could stop France from winning the World Cup and that individual was not Neymar or Lionel Messi, but Deschamps. Instead, he has now emulated Franz Beckenbauer, the only other to win the World Cup as both captain and manager.
It is a remarkable feat, but, until the flurry of goals rendered it one of the most entertaining World Cup finals, this felt a very Deschamps kind of win, incorporating an own goal from a free kick that probably should not have been awarded and a disputed penalty and included a first half when France had one shot and scored twice. Perhaps it represented a victory for pragmatism over romanticism.
The dream that a country of barely four million people could win the World Cup died. Deschamps, a former defensive midfielder whose first substitution was to bring on a defensive midfielder, was its unsentimental assassin.
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France win the World Cup with 4-2 victory over Croatia
France and Croatia fans at the World Cup final - in pictures
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Croatia may have been the best team for much of the first hour, but France lifted the trophy. They did so emphatically, but also deservedly. They became the first side since the great Brazilians of 1970 to score four goals in the World Cup final. The idea that Deschamps is one of management’s roundheads was rebutted by his charges.
They have been the tournament’s strongest team, the best balanced, with excellence in each half of the pitch, courtesy of Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, plus N’Golo Kante, Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane.
Even the names reflect Deschamps’ good fortune and yet talent still needs harnessing and organising, configuring and motivating. France froze in the final of Euro 2016. Two years later, they performed.
Gifted players ended up expressing themselves. Mbappe became the first teenager since Pele to score in a World Cup final when drilling in their fourth. Pogba delivered the third to show how he has allied defensive discipline with attacking threat.
Above all, though, there was Griezmann. He was Euro 2016’s top scorer. Mbappe’s emergence has demoted him to the supporting cast. Perhaps that enabled him to ghost around, a master of elusive excellence.
Griezmann teed Pogba up for his goal. He ends the tournament with four goals and three assists. A man who missed a penalty in a Champions League final scored one in a World Cup final, albeit after the intervention of VAR.
France’s opener was the third goal in as many games that has stemmed from Griezmann’s dead-ball expertise. In the quarter- and semi-finals his set-pieces were headed in by Varane and Umtiti. This time, the unwitting Mario Mandzukic applied the final touch for a goal he later cancelled out with one at the right end.
It was a sign of the spirit that has propelled Croatia thus far. Trailing and forever mounting comebacks is not a failsafe formula, but a team who ought to have been tired have instead proved terrific.
Yet France’s status as rightful winners is underlined by their route to glory: Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium, Croatia. They have beaten the attacking and the defensive, the individuals and the true teams.
And teamwork has long been a priority for Deschamps. From Karim Benzema to Adrien Rabiot, gifted players have been omitted in his reign. It is easier to make such decisions when the alternatives are so enticing but the collective has been prioritised. His decision-making – restoring Olivier Giroud to the starting 11 as the non-scoring striker, removing the booked Kante – has been justified.
Just as he did in 1998, Deschamps has drawn players together. He was never the most showy of players and he has similar traits as a manager. Perhaps it means he is underestimated. But he is a select group of two now: the only men who have led teams to the World Cup as both player and manager.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company%C2%A0profile
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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