"We were convinced we were going to do it. We got up this morning with this belief." In a few words, after seeing his France side turning around their Nations League quarterfinal vs. Croatia at the Stade de France -- going from a 2-0 first-leg loss in Split, to a 2-0 win in Paris before advancing 5-4 on penalties -- captain Kylian Mbappé summed up the spirit of his team perfectly.
France always believe because they have been there before, they have an incredibly talented squad and have won so much together -- reaching so many semifinals and finals in big tournaments -- that the habit of winning is strong among these players.
Under coach Didier Deschamps, Les Bleus have fostered the mental strength to believe that anything is possible. A two-goal deficit after a first leg? Not insurmountable. A two-goal deficit at halftime of the World Cup final? Not over. A two-goal deficit in a Nations League semifinal? Not unconquerable. There have been others, too.
However, this belief comes at a cost as it's often accompanied by arrogance. It might explain why they took for granted the first leg in Split on Thursday and produced such a bad first half.
"Moments like [Sunday] remind us that we have to work and that we can't take our opponents lightly," goalkeeper Mike Maignan told the media after Les Bleus confirmed their place in this summer's UEFA Nations League finals (June 4-8), joining Portugal, Germany and Spain to battle for the crown.
"Magic Mike" was the hero again on Sunday, saving two penalties in the shootout to set up a clash with Spain on June 5, a remake of the Euro 2024 semifinals famously won by Lamine Yamal & Co. in Munich. Maignan had nothing to do in the whole 120 minutes because Croatia didn't have a single shot on target; they were totally dominated by France -- 28 shots to 5, worth 3.17 xG to Croatia's 0.18 -- who finally put out the right team on the pitch.
Unlike four days earlier, when Deschamps made a mess of his tactics (again) with a dated diamond midfield and Ousmane Dembélé as a No. 10 behind Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani, this time the lineup made sense. Deschamps rolled out an exciting, mobile front four of Mbappé, Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise, which destroyed the Croatia defence. They combined well throughout in the attacking third with intricate passing, like on the second goal, movement, one-twos and triangles, especially between Mbappé, Olise and Dembélé.
Admittedly, the captain is going through his longest goal drought for France: It's been seven games since Mbappé last scored for the national team, but on Sunday, he was a constant threat, forcing Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic into great saves. He led by example and was involved in everything good his team did.
However, the night belonged to Olise. In his first five caps for France, he provided nothing. In 80 minutes on Sunday, during his sixth, he scored a beautiful free kick -- the first direct free kick scored by a France international since 2018 -- and gave an assist. This was the statement we have expected from the Bayern Munich winger ever since he burst onto the scene with Crystal Palace and then secured his €60m move to the Bundesliga.
Last but not least, there is Dembélé. With his goal on Sunday, he has now scored 23 times already for club and country in 2025, more than anyone else in the world. And we are only in March. In a more central role, he tore apart the Croatia defence with his pace and dribbles. He took his goal well and could easily have provided more, but the proof is there: this front four is definitely the way to go for France and Deschamps.
With less than 18 months now before the 2026 World Cup and the end of Deschamps' tenure, his squad (barring injuries) is really taking shape. Defensively, he has what he needs with William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano or Ibrahima Konaté. In midfield, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Manu Koné, Warren Zaïre-Emery or Eduardo Camavinga are young, but their energy and work rate can balance perfectly the quartet up front.
Sunday marked a turning point for the France team. Forward Olivier Giroud, veteran of three World Cups including the win in 2018, was celebrated on Sunday before kickoff for his international career -- 137 caps and a national team record 57 goals -- while Antoine Griezmann, whose tribute was also due but will come another time, has also retired. This 2025 Nations League campaign has been the perfect way to start a new cycle for the team, while finishing the one commenced by Deschamps 11 years ago that brought so much success.
We have been here before, and Deschamps/his players showed it again in the win over Croatia: they found the solution and the key to victory in the same game. Up next will be yet another international tournament semifinal for Les Bleus; they will be hungrier than ever to win as a perfect appetizer for their campaign World Cup next summer.