Let the beautiful game flourish

In France this weekend, they will be hoping for a double celebration: firstly their national day today and then the lifting of the Fifa World Cup trophy in Moscow tomorrow afternoon.

But the youthful, stylish, athletic French team – many of whose players have their roots in Africa – will not have it all their way.

You can bet on that.

Their opponents, Croatia, have always been regarded as an outside chance in the tournament and in many of their matches, have been looked on as underdogs.

The men from the Balkans demonstrated against England that not only do they have the physical fitness, they also have tenacity and determination, mixed with a fair dose of raw talent.

Yet Les Bleus remain favourites. They have hardly been tested at this World Cup and the team has an infectious eagerness which sets them apart from all of their rivals.

This tournament, like many before it, has provided sublime entertainment, surprise, drama and humour in equal measure. Occasional niggles and the dramatic diving aside, it is also a reminder that football is still the beautiful game.

And when it comes to nations competing, we’ll take a football field over a battlefield any day.

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