# Dear France Team, Thank You for This Mbappé Show That Brings Us Together > Dear France national team, I write this letter the morning after your qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, held - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Open letter - Published: 2026-07-05 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/chere-equipe-de-france-merci-pour-ce-festival-mbappe-qui-nous-reunit ## Introduction: a letter to a team that still makes us feel alive ### Dear Bleus, let me say thank you Dear **France national team**, I write this letter the morning after your qualification for the **quarterfinals** of the **2026 World Cup**, held this year across the **United States**, **Canada**, and **Mexico**. You just gave millions of French-speaking households, from **Quebec** to **France**, a moment of **collective joy** whose **real value** we never appreciate enough in our fragmented daily lives. A **brace** from **Kylian Mbappé**, a dazzling dribble from **Ousmane Dembélé**: those are the ingredients of a night that will stay **etched in the memory** of your fans, young and old, who **screamed with joy** in front of their screens, alone or surrounded by others, no matter the time zone. ### A letter written with a fan's sincerity, not a tactical expert's I don't claim here to offer a sharp **tactical breakdown** of your system of play, others do that better than I could. This letter is instead a personal account, that of a columnist who, like millions of others, felt that particular **thrill** that only a major football tournament can still stir in our fragmented Western societies. So **thank you**, dear France team, for reminding us, for the length of a match, that we still share something **collective**, despite all our current political and social divisions. *I'll admit it plainly: I'm not the most devoted football fan out there. But there's something about these World Cup nights that transcends even my usual indifference toward professional sport.* ## That Mbappé brace we'll remember for years ### An individual performance in service of the team Thank you, **Kylian Mbappé**, for that **brace** that tipped the match France's way just as **worry** was starting to creep through the stands and living rooms. Your **speed of execution**, your **composure in front of goal**, remind us why you're rightly considered one of the most **decisive players** of your generation. But what stands out most, beyond the individual stat line, is how this **performance** served the **team**, without excessive showboating, in a side that has long searched for balance between **individual stars** and **group cohesion**. ### A symbol for a whole generation of young players Beyond the immediate result, this performance sends a **powerful signal** to an entire generation of **young French-speaking players** who dream, one day, of wearing the blue jersey on the world's biggest stage. Whether you want it or not, you embody a **model of success** and **perseverance** for thousands of kids currently kicking a ball around on a vacant lot or in a training academy. It's this symbolic dimension, often underestimated by commentators focused solely on the sporting performance, that gives this kind of moment its full **social and cultural significance**. *I genuinely believe the impact of a moment like Mbappé's goes well beyond the pitch. How many kids fell asleep tonight dreaming of one day wearing that same blue jersey?* ## That Dembélé dribble that put a smile on an entire country's face ### The art of the gratuitous flourish that brings back the smile Thank you as well, **Ousmane Dembélé**, for that **dribble** that electrified the **stands** and **social media** in the match's aftermath. This kind of **technical flourish**, which sometimes adds nothing to the scoreline, nonetheless carries **immense emotional value** for fans who have followed this **sport** since childhood. It's precisely this aesthetic, joyful dimension of football that explains why the sport keeps captivating billions of people around the world, far beyond the mere **bottom-line logic** of results and individual statistics. ### A player who fought through doubt to deliver this moment This **moment of grace** carries even more weight when you recall this player's sometimes chaotic path, long criticized for his **inconsistency** and repeated **injury setbacks**. Seeing him deliver this kind of **display** on the world stage of a **World Cup** is a form of **sporting redemption** especially satisfying for the many fans who stayed loyal despite the criticism. It's this **ability to reinvent himself** under pressure that makes elite sport so fascinating to follow, far beyond the simple final score on the **scoreboard**. *I've always had a soft spot for sports redemption stories. Watching a long-criticized player deliver this kind of performance on the world's biggest stage is what still makes professional sport capable of surprising us.* ## A tournament spread across three countries, an unprecedented logistical challenge ### Continental organization on an unprecedented scale This **2026 World Cup**, jointly hosted by the **United States**, **Canada**, and **Mexico**, marks a first in the history of the competition for its sheer **geographic** and **logistical scale**. Never before had a **tournament** of this magnitude required such **coordination** between three countries with such different time zones, infrastructure, and sporting cultures. This continental setup, despite a few inevitable logistical hiccups for an event of this size, has largely succeeded in bringing the competition to a **North American public** historically less devoted to football than traditional **European** or **South American audiences**. ### A successful bet to popularize football in North America This bet on expanding the World Cup across **North America** appears, at this stage of the tournament, to be paying off: **stadiums are selling out**, **media buzz** has exceeded initial expectations, and a new generation of young North Americans is discovering a passion for international football thanks to this **unprecedented exposure**. It's an encouraging development for the sport's global future, at a time when the **West** has every interest in preserving its **cultural capacity** to organize and popularize major world sporting events against **growing competition** from other regions of the globe. *I'll admit I followed this North American World Cup with some initial skepticism. It's clear now the bet appears to be paying off, and that's good news for Western cultural vitality.* ## Argentina and Colombia, two other standout stories of the tournament ### Argentina grinds past Cape Verde This tournament wasn't defined solely by the French performance: **Argentina**, the defending champion, had to grind out a win to qualify against a surprising **Cape Verde** side, confirming the steady **rise** of **African football** on the world stage. That hard-fought Argentine qualification shows just how much this 2026 World Cup stands out for its **unpredictability** and the narrowing gap between traditionally dominant nations and emerging sides. Cape Verde's **performance**, however brief in the final tally, deserves recognition as further proof of the **gradual democratization** of elite football worldwide. ### Colombia knocks out Ghana in a thrilling match Meanwhile, **Colombia** pulled off a **surprise** by eliminating **Ghana**, confirming the enduring **vitality** of South American football on the international stage, despite growing competition from other confederations making rapid technical and tactical progress. Taken together, these results paint the picture of a 2026 World Cup that is remarkably **open** and **unpredictable**, where no **nation**, however prestigious on paper, can afford to take its qualification for granted anymore. *This growing unpredictability in world football genuinely delights me. Nothing is worse, in sport as elsewhere, than a frozen hierarchy where the same nations dominate indefinitely without ever being seriously challenged.* ## What this tournament reveals about football's place in our societies ### A collective release valve in an anxious era In an era marked by geopolitical tension, economic anxiety, and widespread social fragmentation, this kind of global sporting event continues to serve as a rare and precious **collective release valve**. For **ninety minutes**, **political divisions** temporarily fade in favor of a **shared collective identity** built around a jersey and a national team. This social function of sport, often mocked by intellectuals who dismiss it as superficial, deserves instead to be taken seriously, since it answers a **fundamental human need** for belonging and collective celebration, particularly precious in our **fragmented Western societies**. ### A phenomenon that goes well beyond simple entertainment Football, at this level of world competition, goes far beyond mere entertainment to become a true **cultural and identity-shaping phenomenon**, able to bring entire generations together around a shared collective story, passed down from **parents to children** across the decades. It's this cross-generational dimension that partly explains why moments like **Mbappé's** brace or **Dembélé's** dribble will keep being retold in French-speaking households long after this particular tournament ends. *I deeply believe in this social function of sport that some sneer at with condescension. In such a fractured world, these moments of collective celebration aren't superficial, they're almost vital.* ## The challenges awaiting the Bleus in the quarterfinals ### A formidable opponent on the horizon This qualification for the **quarterfinals**, however well-earned, is only one step in a **journey** that will grow more demanding as the competition advances. France's next opponents, whoever they turn out to be, will also field **world-class players** and carry redoubled motivation given the stakes. It is in this kind of **knockout match** that great teams truly reveal themselves, able to handle **psychological pressure** as much as the sheer **technical quality** demanded at this level of global competition. ### Managing physical and mental fatigue over the long haul Beyond the players' individual quality alone, managing physical and mental fatigue over the course of such a long, demanding tournament will be a **decisive factor** for the rest of France's run. **Squad rotation**, managing recovery time, and the **mental freshness** of key players will be closely watched by the **coaching staff** in the days ahead. It's this often invisible dimension for the general public, yet absolutely crucial for the coaching staff, that could make the difference between an early elimination and a deeper run in the competition. *I'm always wary of excessive euphoria after a great win. Football history is full of teams that shone in the group stage before collapsing under the added pressure of knockout matches.* ## What this moment means for the French-speaking diaspora ### A transatlantic gathering around the same screen For the French-speaking diaspora, from **Quebec** to **West Africa** to **Europe**, these France matches mean far more than a simple **sporting event**: they represent a rare transatlantic gathering, where **millions of people** share the same emotion at the same time, despite considerable time-zone and geographic differences. This communal dimension of international football deserves to be highlighted, particularly for **French-speaking communities scattered** around the world, for whom these moments of collective celebration reinforce a shared sense of cultural belonging beyond strict national borders. ### A cultural bridge between generations and continents These match nights also become, in many immigrant French-speaking families, a precious cultural bridge between generations, where **grandparents** and **grandchildren** share a common passion for a team that embodies, each in their own way, part of their original cultural identity. It's this intergenerational transmission, often overlooked in strictly sporting analysis of these events, that gives this kind of moment its full **social and human richness**. *I think of all those French-speaking families scattered around the world who came together, in person or virtually, to watch this match together. That might be the most beautiful victory of the night, in the end.* ## A welcome reminder of sport's beauty in a tense world ### The contrast with a heavy geopolitical news cycle This moment of collective joy comes amid a particularly heavy global geopolitical backdrop, marked by **ongoing conflicts**, **rising international tensions**, and often anxiety-inducing news for the general Western public. It may be precisely this ambient heaviness that makes this kind of sporting interlude all the more precious and necessary for our collective psychological balance. Sport obviously solves none of the major geopolitical problems of our time, but it offers a **welcome collective breather**, a moment of temporary suspension from the usual tensions that, without minimizing their real gravity, deserves to be fully **savored** when it comes along. ### A lesson in humility and gratitude going forward It is with this sincere gratitude that this letter closes: thank you to the France team for giving us this moment of collective joy, without excessive presumption about the rest of the journey, but with the **measured hope** that this positive momentum can continue in the competition's next rounds. Whatever the final result of this World Cup for the Bleus, this moment will remain etched in the collective memory of millions of French-speaking fans around the world, and that alone is already a victory worth celebrating fully. *I close this section convinced of one thing: whatever the final outcome of this tournament, this night of the Mbappé show will remain a treasured memory in a year otherwise loaded with hard-to-digest international tensions.* ## What the younger generation will remember from this World Cup ### Sporting idols who shape childhood dreams For an entire generation of French-speaking children currently discovering football through this tournament, **Mbappé** and **Dembélé** will likely become the **sporting figures** who shaped their earliest standout football memories, exactly as previous generations grew up on the exploits of their own successive sporting idols. This generational transmission of sporting admiration is one of the most powerful **cultural mechanisms** for keeping the **passion for football** alive across the decades, far beyond the immediate sporting result of any one tournament. ### The importance of celebrating these moments without excess cynicism In an era sometimes marked by widespread cynicism toward professional sport, its very real financial excesses and commercial abuses, it remains important to preserve our collective ability to sincerely celebrate these **moments of sporting grace** without systematically giving in to suspicion or easy dismissal. It's this balance, between clear-eyed criticism of modern professional football's excesses and the ability to fully savor its moments of genuine grace, that this letter has tried to preserve from beginning to end. *I refuse blanket cynicism toward professional sport, despite its very real financial excesses which I do not deny for a second. It remains possible to criticize the system while sincerely celebrating its finest human moments.* ## A word for the coaching staff, too often in the shadows ### Tactical choices that paid off Thank you as well to the France team's **coaching staff**, often relegated to the shadows behind the spotlight on star players, but whose **tactical choices** and **meticulous preparation** directly contributed to the remarkable collective performance seen on the pitch. Managing rotations, video analysis of opponents, psychological preparation of players before a high-stakes match: all this **invisible work** for the general public deserves to be recognized at its true value, alongside the individual exploits that naturally capture all the media attention. ### Recognition too rare for this behind-the-scenes work This recognition of technical staff work remains too rare in traditional football media coverage, which almost systematically favors the **individual narrative** of the star player over the collective, methodical work that makes these performances possible before a ball is even kicked. It's an imbalance this letter modestly wishes to correct, if only for a few paragraphs dedicated to those who, in the shadows, meticulously prepare every detail of these nights of collective glory. *I often think of those assistant coaches, video analysts, and physical trainers whose names we never learn, but whose invisible work makes possible every individual feat we celebrate collectively.* ## What this tournament says about the evolution of world football ### A narrowing gap between confederations This 2026 World Cup, through the performances of **Cape Verde**, **Colombia**, and other less traditionally favored sides, confirms an underlying **trend** observed over several consecutive editions: the gradual narrowing of technical and tactical level between different continental football confederations. This relative democratization of elite football worldwide is, in itself, **excellent news** for the sport's future, making competitions more unpredictable and therefore, paradoxically, more thrilling to follow for football fans everywhere. ### The West must keep investing in sports development Facing this rising technical power of emerging nations on the world football stage, the great Western footballing nations, including **France**, have every reason to keep investing heavily in their **training academies** and sporting infrastructure, to preserve their current technical edge rather than treating it as a permanent given. It's this long-term strategic vigilance, rather than mere celebration of immediate successes, that will allow **Western football nations** to remain competitive against increasingly sharp international competition in the decades ahead. *I believe this lesson goes well beyond football alone: in every field, sport included, the Western edge must never be treated as a permanent given against increasingly sharp global competition.* ## What this letter hopes to convey beyond the simple result ### Gratitude as the thread running through this message At the close of this open letter, gratitude is what dominates: gratitude toward players who, despite the immense pressure weighing on their shoulders at this level of world competition, managed to deliver a sporting spectacle worthy of the name, able to bring **millions of fans** together around a shared emotion. This gratitude comes with no naivety about the very real excesses of modern professional football, but it also refuses to let that **legitimate cynicism** completely eclipse the genuine beauty of sporting moments like the one experienced during this quarterfinal qualification. ### A message of measured hope for the rest of the competition Whether the rest of France's run in this **2026 World Cup** ends in success or an early elimination, this moment of the **Mbappé** show and the **Dembélé** dribble will remain etched in the collective memory of millions of French-speaking fans, and that alone is already a victory that goes far beyond the simple final score on the scoreboard. It is with this measured hope, free of overconfidence or anticipated pessimism, that this open letter closes, awaiting the next match with the sincere impatience of every French-speaking fan attached to this team. *I close this letter with a simple conviction: whatever this tournament's final result, this night has already fulfilled its first mission, bringing us together collectively around a sincere, shared emotion.* ## What the North American public is discovering through this tournament ### A gradual conversion to international football Beyond the French performance, this North American **2026 World Cup** also marks a **pivotal moment** for popularizing **international football** among a public historically more attached to American football, basketball, or ice hockey than to traditional world soccer. This gradual conversion of a massive North American public to international football, if it holds beyond the mere temporary excitement of this tournament, could have **considerable economic and cultural consequences** for the sport's global future. ### A potential legacy beyond the tournament itself It's this potential legacy, beyond the sporting record of this particular edition, that could be the most lasting contribution of this 2026 World Cup to the global history of football, by durably opening up a North American market long underexploited by the sport's governing bodies. This economic and cultural dimension, often eclipsed by the immediate sporting narrative, deserves close attention in the months and years following the end of this historic competition. *I find it fascinating to watch this North American market finally open up fully to world football. That might be, in the long run, this tournament's most lasting legacy, far beyond the sporting record of this one edition.* ## Conclusion: thank you again, and see you at the next match *I close this open letter with one last simple thought: in such a divided world, these nights of international football remain among the rare moments when we truly come together, side by side, around one sincere emotion.* ### A letter that ends with a simple word: thank you Dear France team, this letter is coming to an end, but the story of this 2026 World Cup continues. Thank you for this collective show, thank you for that **Mbappé** brace, thank you for that **Dembélé** dribble, and thank you, more broadly, for this precious reminder that sport, despite all its very real excesses and contradictions, still holds the rare power to bring us together around a sincere, shared emotion. Whether the rest of the journey is glorious or harder, this night will remain a treasured memory for millions of French-speaking fans around the world, from **Quebec** to **France**, and every French-speaking community scattered across the planet. ### See you for the next chapter of this collective adventure While waiting for the next match, this letter closes with the sincere impatience of any fan attached to this team, and with the conviction that, whatever this tournament's final result, this moment of collective joy will already have fulfilled its first mission: bringing us together, if only for one evening, around a shared passion that transcends our everyday differences. See you very soon for the next chapter of this collective adventure, dear France team, with all the sincere gratitude of one French-speaking fan among millions of others around the world. **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - Le Figaro, 2026 World Cup schedule and results - Euronews, the day's news on the 2026 World Cup — July 4, 2026 ### Secondary sources - 20 Minutes, sports news coverage for July 4, 2026 - Sortir à Paris, sporting events for July 2026 - RFI Sports, international French-language coverage of the 2026 World Cup - FIFA, official page for the 2026 World Cup --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/chere-equipe-de-france-merci-pour-ce-festival-mbappe-qui-nous-reunit