Late Push Wasn’t Enough to Give France Olympic Football Gold on Home Soil

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Gold Medal Match - France vs Spain - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. France coach Thierry Henry reacts after the match. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Gold Medal Match - France vs Spain - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. France coach Thierry Henry reacts after the match. (Reuters)
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Late Push Wasn’t Enough to Give France Olympic Football Gold on Home Soil

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Gold Medal Match - France vs Spain - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. France coach Thierry Henry reacts after the match. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Gold Medal Match - France vs Spain - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. France coach Thierry Henry reacts after the match. (Reuters)

The men’s football tournament came to a dramatic end at the Paris Olympics.

Just not the end the host nation wanted.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, who had helped fuel France’s comeback after falling in a 3-1 hole in the first half against Spain, limped off the field in exhaustion at the final whistle. His teammates were just as weary, lying on the field while Spain’s players wildly celebrated their 5-3 victory after extra time.

Despite the ending, fans at Parc des Princes serenaded the team with the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise."

"It’s cruel but that’s football," France midfielder Desire Doue told television station France 2. "We gave a lot throughout the competition, and again tonight. We came back and took it to extra time. We gave it our all. Unfortunately, we didn’t take some of our chances, we lacked a bit of efficiency."

Enzo Millot scored an early goal for France but then Spain answered with three goals in a short period, putting the home team down 3-1 at the break.

Mateta had converted a penalty kick in stoppage time, pulling even with Spain 3-3 and sending the final into extra time. But ultimately, Spain prevailed with two goals from Sergio Camello.

"It’s part of football," said captain Alexandre Lacazette said. "Sometimes you come back, you fight back, but it’s just a matter of small things sometimes."

Coach Thierry Henry told his players afterward he was proud of them, and reminded them that medaling at the Olympics was "an extraordinary feat."

"I told them, ‘You won. You’ve earned respect for life. You never gave up, in the training sessions, whatever happened, you always stayed. You always fought,’" Henry said. "We know this group of players will never meet again. It’s impossible. We know that, but this group of people will remain together forever in my eyes."

Henry was one of the most decorated players of his generation. He won the World Cup as a player in 1998 on home soil, then was part of the squad that was runners-up in 2006. He also won a European Championship with the French in 2000.

Going into the match, Henry was credited with creating chemistry on a team without superstar Kylian Mbappe, who wasn’t released by new club Real Madrid.

The team went undefeated at the Olympics until the end, finishing atop its group and then beating Argentina and Egypt in the knockout round for a spot in the final.

Despite the loss, Henry and the France squad applauded the fans in the stands. They won a medal, after all, just not the color they had hoped for.

"It’s difficult in the moment to take it all in but it was still a beautiful story," he said.



France will Host Israel in the Nations League 'Under Usual Conditions,' French Authorities Say

Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
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France will Host Israel in the Nations League 'Under Usual Conditions,' French Authorities Say

Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Israel's Nations League soccer match against host France next month will take place in "usual conditions,” French authorities said Tuesday, a day after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.

Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police prefect, said in a statement that the match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public,” The AP reported.

Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday, with the game being played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.

It was the first match Israel has played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.

All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including last month’s game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.