Raphael Varane said that he is sad about France’s loss in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday but is very proud of the team’s effort to claw back into the game.
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria had given Argentina a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute of the final when Les Bleus seemed hopelessly defeated.
France returned valiantly, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice in short succession to send the game into extra time. The PSG superstar’s third goal in extra time pulled France level after Messi had given Argentina another lead.
Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni missed their penalty attempts, causing France to lose the game on penalties despite its best efforts.
Raphael Varane, speaking to TF1 after the match, expressed his delight in France’s performance on Sunday.
“We are pretty upset since we gave our all. Despite facing several challenges throughout the tournament, we never gave up.
“For one hour, we were out of the game. We could have won as well; I am really proud of our team and of being French. We keep our heads up. We returned to this contest when it became difficult. was played extremely rapidly, then we improved physically.
“We pushed and believed till the very end. We were on the verge of upsetting the match, which was poorly launched. The path was twisting, but this bunch had mental fortitude and a great deal of courage. This helped us to regain control of the contest. We feel both upset and proud.”
