French President, Emmanuel Macron celebrating the win from VIP box during the final game
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It was a heroes’ welcome for the French national team that arrived France, fresh from dispatching Croatia for World Cup glory in Moscow on Sunday in an epic final, which saw France score 4 goals past their opponent. France’s heroes, according to Mail returned to Paris and basked in their success in front of hundreds of thousands of their supporters during an open top bus parade.
The players received a substantial police escort as fans flocked to the famous Champs-Elysees to show their support to their World Cup heroes as the country celebrated their first win since 1998. As well as the 500,000 fans who flocked to Paris, a number of the squad’s big names, including Benjamin Mendy, Samuel Umtiti and strikers Kylian Mbape and Antoine Griezmann, documented the day of celebrations via their social media. Lots of the players looked to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment through their phones with young defender Presnel Kimpembe providing an insight into the sheer size of the police escort behind the bus.
Dozens of police officers on motorbikes were joined by exciteable fans on two wheels as they tried to attract the attention of the players. One fan held aloft a mask of ‘Donatello’ from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – the nickname commonly given to striker Mbappe by his team-mates. But few characters were going to take centre stage from the ever charismatic Benjamin Mendy as he collared a number of the coaching staff, including Coach, Didier Deschamps, during his Instagram story.
The Manchester City defender is bouncing around on top of the bus chanting and thanking supporters while also trying to bring some energy to coaching staff members such as trainer Gregory Dupont. France romped to victory in Moscow and every squad member felt they played their part in the success, regardless of the minutes won on the pitch. Substitute goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was all smiles as he lifted the trophy in front of a number of police officers with crowds kept at a distance from the players’ bus. Benjamin Pavard, who proved a revelation at right back for Deschamps’ side in Russia, serenaded supporters along with defensive partner Raphael Varane with a version of ‘Allex Les Bleus!’
It became the key chant for French supporters and as players, aside from Varane, wore white scarfs around their head, they were happy to join supporters in singing the song. There was to be no expense spared for such a high profile occasion as the players were driven down the famous Champs-Elysees towards the palace where they would meet President Emmanuel Macron. Planes flew overhead leaving stripes to create the national flag in the sky as supporters also lit flares as police tried to control the masses that turned out.
