Whatever France does in the Uzbekistan World Cup will be shrouded in suspicion. No athletic achievement by the French team can erase the disgrace from their last group stage match against Iran—a scandal that made global headlines. The infamous plan devised by Raphael Reynaud’s team worked perfectly. They deliberately lost to choose their round of 16 opponent, and Les Bleus then overpowered Thailand with a 5-2 victory. In contrast, Iran was eliminated by Morocco, losing 4-3 in their final match.
What began as praise for France’s strong debut has now turned to doubt. Despite the French Football Federation’s substantial investment to elevate the futsal team, all their efforts seem tarnished. Yet, FIFA does not appear in any rush to address what transpired on September 22, even though they have confirmed an investigation is underway.
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France’s goals against Thailand were scored by Bendali, Barcelona’s Mamadou Toure, Mohammed, Mouhudine, and Saadaoui, but the standout player was goalkeeper Francis Lokoka, whose outstanding performance anchored the win. Thailand closed the gap to 3-2 with goals from Suphawut and Wingwon, but France remained in control, celebrating their quarterfinal berth while Thailand’s coach Miguel Rodrigo was expelled after the match. FIFA seems intent on silencing critics who have accused France of manipulating their way into the round of 16.
Following Raphael Reynaud’s calculated plan, France will face Paraguay on Monday (2:30 p.m.) in the quarterfinals. Though they should be proud of making the top eight in their World Cup debut, the shadow of their controversial match will forever follow them. The last European team to reach the quarterfinals in their first World Cup appearance was Azerbaijan in 2016.
In the final round of 16 match, Argentina secured their fourth victory, defeating Croatia 2-0 with goals from Jaén Paraíso Interior players Alan Brandi and Mati Rosa. With Brazil set to face Morocco on Sunday, and media focus on Spain and Portugal’s failures, Argentina, led by Matías Lucuix, is a fierce contender with an unyielding hunger for titles. They will meet Kazakhstan on Monday (5:00 p.m.) for a place in the semifinals. Alongside France and Ukraine—who face Venezuela on Sunday—Kazakhstan is one of the three European teams still in the tournament. For the first time in World Cup history, UEFA is not the most represented confederation, with four South American teams among the top eight. Meanwhile, Morocco, the African champions, dream of toppling the heavy favorite, Brazil.
