France easily beat Colombia on Sunday evening in a friendly match in the United States (3-1), even though Didier Deschamps had fielded a “B” team by making eleven changes compared to the victory against Brazil three days earlier. But the French substitutes, even without much familiarity, sent a strong message.
It was Thomas Meunier who said earlier in the week: “The French team, with all the players at their disposal, can field three teams that can win the World Cup.” While Deschamps found the Belgian defender’s statement a bit exaggerated (“Why not twelve, as well?” joked the coach), the friendly match of the Blues on Sunday night against Colombia (3-1) has in the eyes of many observers partially vindicated the Lille player – France may not exactly have three teams capable of winning a World Cup, but they seem to have at least two teams capable of performing at the highest international level.
Three days after the prestigious victory against Brazil (2-1) with the main players, Deschamps opted for a significant turnover for this second match of the American tour. A total turnover, as the entire starting eleven had changed in three days. Out went Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Mike Maignan, replaced by Maxence Lacroix, Lucas Digne, Désiré Doua, Maghnes Akliouche, and Rayan Cherki. Some good ball players, indeed…
The Colombians, who fielded their “A” team, quickly realized the quality of the French talent pool when Doua and Marcus Thuram brought the score to 2-0 before halftime, solidifying French dominance and a clear technical superiority, despite Colombia creating some serious chances. This was duly noted by supporters of both teams on social media.
###Context [France defeated Colombia 3-1 in an international friendly match in the United States with a lineup of mostly substitutes to the main players.]
###Fact Check [The match was part of France’s preparations for the upcoming World Cup, with Colombians fielding their first-team players against France’s second-string squad.]
####Un vivier salué de Paris à Bogotá, en passant par le Sénégal et le Mexique
“I love this B team. They defend together, play with intensity. It’s smooth for guys who never play together,” rejoiced a French fan, while another praised the quality of the bench, consisting of offensive leaders from some of Europe’s top clubs.
“So the French substitutes beat the Colombian starting eleven?” remarked Colombian journalist Andres Munoz Ferrino. “The French reserve team is better than 95% of the world’s teams,” replied an online user. “They can beat anyone.”
“The French substitutes are outplaying us. Saying it’s painful is an understatement,” commented another Colombi fan, slightly disappointed by the performance of the “Tricolor,” despite being Copa America finalists in 2024.
Both French and Colombian fans were not the only ones who appreciated the show put on by the “hairdressers.” “The French B team can easily reach the World Cup semi-finals,” stated Mexican journalist Juan Carlos Zuniga. Less than three months ahead of the World Cup, where France will face Senegal in the opening match, the night’s match served as a reminder for some faithful Senegal supporters. “Some people think we will beat or draw against the French team, haha,” joked one of them. “Even their B team is better than us.”
As for Didier Deschamps, although he refrained from getting carried away, he acknowledged at halftime that he appreciated the performance of the “substitutes.” “Without having automatic movements, they showed quality, a state of mind, a lot of fighting spirit,” commented the coach on TF1. “Everything wasn’t perfect, but it’s very good, it’s in the same wavelength as what we did in the first match but with other players. It was important for me to see them as well.”
