There will be no gold medal on home soil for French footballers at the 2024 World Cup in Paris. Instead, Spain won a surprise 5-3 men’s final after Sergio Camello scored two goals in extra time at the Parc des Princes.
This was a truly wild game, an eight-goal thriller over two hours, peppered with brilliant goals, saves, comebacks and a VAR equaliser in injury time. France will be unlucky not to let a long period of sustained pressure come to fruition. The biggest compliment to Spain’s performance was that, at its best, it was very Spanish.
In the end, Spanish footballers have achieved something truly rare: winning three titles in four weeks with three almost completely different teams. Olympic gold followed victory in the final of the UEFA Under-19 tournament last month and victory at the European Championships in Germany two weeks before that.
These three titles now stand alongside winning the Women’s World Cup last year. It is an amazing run of success for everyone involved in the development and formation of Spanish football.
Part of the concept is the fact that each of these teams, while not playing in the same way, has had similar characteristics: excellent technique, tactical awareness and, above all, the ability to read and control the game in front of them. Game intelligence was the defining quality of the Spanish Summer of Love, as opposed to a stifling one-size-fits-all tactical system.
Midway through the second half there was the fascinating sight of six Spanish substitutes, essentially another bunch of highly talented young lads, not just warming up but watching, chatting and following their every move. The English game could learn a lot from this. Plus some change.
The Parc des Princes was packed for this final. The pre-match ceremonies were an entertaining Olympic smorgasbord, capped by a live performance of Freed From Desire through the gala proper, a moving moment for anyone who saw this modern stadium classic sung by so many stands full of excited people, as if they were finally seeing a real Warhol. Hopefully this will boost their downloads, Céline Dion style.
The game started and nothing happened for 11 minutes. Then suddenly everything happened: four goals in 17 minutes, three of them for Spain. France scored first. Álex Baena messed up his save. Enzo Millot took the ball and shot early, although Arnau Tenas, playing here for Paris Saint-Germain, will be disappointed with his performance in keeping the ball out of the net.
Six minutes later, Spain equalised with a brilliantly worked goal: Fermín López, after a long period of excellent possession, shot into the corner with the inside of his foot for his fifth goal of the tournament. And Spain took a 2-1 lead shortly after, with another beautiful goal, this time coming from a sharp cross from Juan Miranda from the left that Fermín was able to slot home.
Spain’s third goal in the 28th minute came from a free kick on the left edge of the box. Baena stepped back and fired a beautifully fine right-footed shot into the corner, Guillaume Restes staying on his line, the kind of deflection that makes a free kick goal look so much prettier.
Thierry Henry brought in fresh energy after the break, replacing Alexandre Lacazette with Arnaud Kalimuendo, who hit the crossbar with a header just under the hour mark. France were more patient on the ball and moved more skilfully through the midfield, with Manu Koné making a significant impact.
They started to create chances. Spain looked tired after three intense weeks. Tenas blocked a stunning shot from close range with his right hand. And with 12 minutes to go France made it 3-2 when Miranda deflected a Michael Olise free kick into his own net.
after newsletter campaign
France’s hopes of gold were saved at the last minute by a moment of incredible drama when they were awarded a penalty in stoppage time following a VAR review. Replays showed Miranda in a challenge with Kalimuendo at the far post from a corner.
The referee, Ramon Abatti, performed an extraordinary exhibitionist walk back from his monitor, paused, and then pointed to the dot, like a man identifying the murderer at the end of a particularly dramatic crime thriller.
Mateta scored in the 93rd minute to make it 3-3. The Parc erupted in celebration. France deserved to shoot the ball long. But in the 99th minute it was Spain who brought the decisive moment. Again this happened after a long period of possession. The acceleration came with a wonderful pass from Sergio Gómez into the path of Camello. The finish was wonderful, it was lobbed over the advancing goalkeeper.
France might have taken it to penalties, but the match ended in surreal fashion when Camello scored a second goal on the counterattack, which was allowed at the final whistle after a VAR review. Spain had scored five goals in a match in which they defended for more than an hour.
This was Spain’s first Olympic men’s gold medal since 1992, but it felt like completing a whole set.
