World Cup 2018 | Vive la France! And a lot of other nations, too

Antoine Griezmann’s father emigrated from Germany, and the France forward’s mother is of Portuguese descent.

Paul Pogba’s parents arrived from Guinea.

Kylian Mbappe’s dad is from Cameroon, his mom Algerian.

Immigrants, sons of immigrants and grandsons of immigrants bonded together with scions of families that have been French for generations, all for the rouge, blanc et bleu. And for only the second time, France is the World Cup champion.

About two-thirds of Les Bleus’ roster included players with immigrant backgrounds, a mini-United Nations of soccer talent.

“That is the France that we love,” Griezmann said through a translator after Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Croatia ended the most exciting World Cup final in decades. “It’s beautiful to see it.”

Griezmann’s free kick was headed in by Mario Manduzkic for the opening own-goal in the 18th minute, and then Griezmann converted a penalty kick for a 2-1 lead in the 38th after video review spotted a handball by Ivan Perisic.

Mbappe’s speed led to the third goal in the 59th. He added a goal of his own in the 65th , at 19 becoming the second-youngest scorer in a World Cup final behind 17-year-old Pele in 1958.

Vive la diversite!

A day after Bastille Day, the party was on.

“The diversity of the squad is in the image of this beautiful country that is France,” midfielder Blaise Matuidi, whose parents are from Angola and Congo, said through a translator ahead of the match.

France won on a humid night in Russia, with thunderclaps during play and a downpour during the trophy presentation. Quite different from that indelible summer evening at Stade de France in 1998, when fans in the arena and throughout Paris sang “La Marseillaise” until dawn and young teenagers drove cars while their intoxicated parents sat in passenger seats.

People called that team “Black, Blanc, Beur,” noting how black, white and North African players came together.

Zinedine Zidane, a son of Algerians, headed in a pair of first-half corner kicks against heavily favored Brazil. Patrick Vieira, born in Senegal, fed Normandy-born Emmanuel Petit for the third in the 3-0 win.

This year’s team was perhaps even more diverse.

Defender Samuel Umtiti was born in Cameroon and backup goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in Zaire. Others descended from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Mococco and Senegal, plus Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

“There may be players who come from different origins, but we do have the same state of mind,” Griezmann said. “We all play for the same jersey, the cockerel. For our country, we give everything we have. As soon as you wear the jersey, we do everything for each other.”

He scored the go-ahead goal after the first video review-created penalty kick in a World Cup final. During a delay of about four minutes that might have unnerved less-composed players, Griezmann told himself to pretend it was a league match.

“Carry on and do the same thing as I normally do,” he remembered thinking.

At 27, he is in his prime but in the penumbra of Spanish soccer powers at Atletico Madrid, toiling in a league that Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate. He led the 2016 European Championship with six goals and tied for second with four at the World Cup, three on penalty kicks, earning the Bronze Ball as third-best player behind Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Belgium forward Eden Hazard.

Griezmann kissed the trophy, knowing his generation will be revered in the same way Zidane, Petit, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram and Fabien Barthez remain renowned from Calais to Cannes.

“From tonight on, I’m sorry for them, but they are going to be different,” coach Didier Deschamps said. “Those 23 players will be linked forever, forever. Whatever happens — they might follow different paths, but they will be marked forever and they will be together thanks to this event.”

Griezmann, man of the match in a World Cup final, will be on posters throughout the republic, asked for endorsements, a mainstay of commercials. He will be pestered for autographs for the rest of his life.

“I’m going to be in the history of French football with my team,” Griezmann said. “We don’t quite realize it yet. Our children will very proud to have our names.” Ronald Blum, Moscow, AP

WC afterglow lifts up conflicted country

Eternal Happiness said yesterday’s headline in sports daily L’Equipe, summing up the mood of many who can’t imagine the euphoria will ever fade.

France is readying to welcome home the national soccer team for a parade down the Champs-Elysees, where tens of thousands thronged after the team’s 4-2 victory over Croatia.

President Emmanuel Macron exulted on the field and in the locker room with the players, and is hoping their victory gives him a boost, too.

The French, though, are more enamored of the players, like 19-year-old star Kylian Mbappe, and of their coach, Didier Deschamps, with a parody photo circulating online suggesting renaming Paris’ most famous avenue “Deschamps Elysees.”

Sports Minister Laura Flessel said on Europe-1 radio that the victory allows France’s youth — like those in the poor suburbs where many of the players grew up — “to dare to believe in their dreams.”

The victory glow brightened the yesterday morning Paris commute, with young people in cars still shouting in celebration.

In the eastern Paris neighborhood of Belleville, with the Eiffel Tower visible in the far distance, Vincent Simon said, “Both teams deserved to win. France won, and that’s good for the country, that will do us good for some months.”

Fellow Parisian Florian Scaven only caught glimpses of the final from the maternity ward with his wife as she had a baby during the final. “We vibrated with the horns in the street. We are happy. Long live France.”

It was France’s second-ever World Cup win, and came at a time when the people feel needy.

“It represents enormous things,” said Goffrey Hamsik, dressed in a hat resembling a rooster — the French national symbol — and a shirt with the No. 10 for Kylian Mpappe, the breakout star who hails from the Paris suburb of Bondy.

“We’ve had lots of problems in France these past years,” he said, recalling deadly terror attacks. “This is good for the morale […] Here, we are all united. We mix. There is no religion, there is nothing, and that’s what feels good.”

Hundreds of police in riot gear were discreetly lined up on side streets to monitor revelers. Typically, celebrations in France end up with some broken shop windows and other destruction, and Sunday was no exception. Tear gas was lobbed at one point on the Champs-
Elysees. About 4,000 police watched over the fan zone — packed to its 90,000 capacity — during the match, then moved to the Champs-Elysees and neighboring streets.

As night fell, The Eiffel Tower flashed 1998-2018 to mark France’s two World Cup titles. The Arc de Triomphe was awash in the national colors, lit with the rooster, the faces of the winning team and the words “Proud to be Blue,” or French.

The celebrations were spread across the nation. AP