Didier Deschamps suggested France had felt the “physical or psychological impact” of an illness-affected run-up to their extraordinary World Cup final defeat against Argentina, although he stopped short of saying it contributed to the outcome.
France were overrun until two goals in 97 seconds from Kylian Mbappé turned a procession for their opponents into a wild, seesawing affair that went the distance. A virus had stretched an already depleted squad, with three players missing the semi-final against Morocco and at least two others affected in the subsequent days. All involved were passed fit for the match on Sunday but Deschamps highlighted a flatness that noticeably dogged his team for much of the game.
