Interview with Patrick Vieira: The story of France's 'long teeth' and Didier Deschamps' strategic dilemma in 1998
Patrick Vieira shares the experience of France's World Cup victory in 1998, emphasizing the team's collectivity and unity. He also discussed the prospects and challenges of the current team.
Patrick Vieira has tears in his eyes as he shares the experience of winning the World Cup with France in 1998. He discusses the genius of Zinedine Zidane, but the theme he returns to again and again is collectivity: not liberté, égalité, fraternité but unité, humilité, fraternité. Recalling that glorious summer, he talks about a team that played riding a wave of national enthusiasm. But he also appreciates the individuals within the group — Didier Deschamps, Marcel Dessaie, Laurent Blanc, Lilian Thuram, Bixant Lizarazu, Youri Djorkaeff — and how, when they unite, they become much more than their collective.
"Before the tournament, no one believed in our success," says the former France midfielder. "There was no belief from people or the media that we would do well. But when we came out of the group stage, we started to feel enthusiasm and belief from the fans."Vieira says, "Everything came together and we started to build that momentum. Sometimes luck was on our side — the goal we scored against Paraguay (in the round of 16), the penalty shootout against Italy — but in those moments, it was about team spirit, collectivity. Getting to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, it felt like: 'There's only one way — to get to the end.'"
In the final against Brazil they achieved such a spectacular victory that in the final moments Vieira set up his Arsenal teammate Emmanuel Petit to complete a 3–0 victory.
"I remember Deschamps, Thuram, making us feel in the dressing room that nothing could happen to us because there was such positive energy around you and you knew there was going to be a performance," Vieira said.
In the final against Brazil, I felt that we were longer in the tooth than they were. I think we wanted it more. "I didn't see that we couldn't win."
In terms of the current French team, Vieira asked whether today's team, which lost on penalties to Argentina in the last World Cup final, has the potency and collectivity of the 1998 and 2018 teams. “He definitely has individual talent,” Vieira says. "But individual talent alone will not be enough."
The biggest challenge for France is whether they can come together or not, and (Kylian) Mbappe, as a captain and leader, will be able to play a positive role in unifying the team.
Looking ahead to the France team, Vieira said, "When you have so much talent in your team, the trouble is they all think they can win the game alone."This balance is essential for the French team, as Vieira and his teammates did in 1998. Their willingness to fight for each other and unity is what fosters individual quality.
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