Hosting the 2024 Olympics and the potential to win another World Cup title? France is doing pretty well, to say the least.
Defending World Cup champions Les Bleus are heading to the finals on December 18 following their domination over Morocco in the semifinal on Wednesday.
With the exceptional effort of Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani on the front line, France managed to scoot their way past the African team over the course of an intense 90-plus minutes of play. Not to mention superstars Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud, who never fail to carry the team to new heights.
Les Bleus began their World Cup journey in Group D alongside Australia, Denmark and Tunisia. In the group stage, France beat Australia 4-1 in their opener and went on to defeat Denmark 2-1. In their final group stage game, they were upset by Tunisia, but redeemed themselves when they knocked Poland out of the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals.
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Thanks to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Les Bleus pulled off a blockbuster win against Morocco just 24 hours after Argentina clinched a 3-0 win over Croatia.
Now the final World Cup matchup is set, so let’s take a deeper dive into France’s defensive line, specifically their lifeline and captain goalkeeper Lloris. Will he be able to hold his own against Lionel Messi and Co. or will this be Argentina’s chance to beat the defending champions?
Who is Hugo Lloris?
First let’s start with the basics.
Loris, 35, has been France’s starting goalkeeper at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Along with France’s national team, he plays for Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League, alongside England’s Harry Kane, and serves as their captain. Lloris is a three-time winner of the National Union of Professional Footballers Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year award, an accolade he won in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
He was born and raised in Nice, France and started playing soccer at 6 years old. Lloris represented France at the under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 level beginning in 2004 and joined the senior national team in 2008, where he has been a pivotal defensive figure ever since.
What is Hugo Lloris’ FIFA rating?
Lloris’ FIFA rating currently sits at 87, good for 11th among goalkeepers. He has a medium attacking work rate and medium defensive work rate.
Mike Maignan, another French goalkeeper, has a higher ranking than Lloris though he was left off the roster for Qatar due to his struggles with injuries recently.
How many clean sheets has Hugo Lloris got?
During the 2022-23 Premier League season, Lloris conceded 21 goals and kept four clean sheets throughout 15 matches.
Per 90 minutes, Lloris’ goals conceded stat is 1.4 and calculations conclude, he and his team concede a goal every 64 minutes.
How has Hugo Lloris fared throughout the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
So far, France has competed in three group stage games, one knockout round, one quarterfinal and one semifinal, and throughout these six games, Lloris has conceded only five goals.
During Les Bleus’ first match against Australia, they won 4-1 where Lloris let Craig Goodwin get one past him in the ninth minute. Next, France defeated Denmark 2-1 and Lloris gave up one for Andreas Christensen in the 68th minute. During the final group match, France lost to Tunisia 1-0 when Lloris fell to a kick by Wahbi Khazri in the 58th minute.
In the round of 16, France beat Poland 3-1 and Lloris conceded a goal from Robert Lewandowski in the 99th minute of extra time. In the quarterfinals, Tottenham teammate Harry Kane scored for England in the 54th minute on a penalty kick, but the French goalie still made six saves against the Three Lions and held on for a 2-1 win. And finally, during the 2-0 semifinals win against Morocco, Lloris had a clean sheet.
How can I watch Hugo Lloris in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final?
Lloris and Les Bleus will face Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT, which is 6 p.m. locally in Qatar.
