That afternoon, Deschamps organized the squad's final training session before the friendly—a sharp, focused ninety minutes emphasizing set-piece routines and defensive shape transitions.
By evening at Clairefontaine, the setting sun turned the perimeter fence in warm golden tones.
About a hundred supporters wearing French blue jerseys had gathered early at the exit, waiting patiently for the players to emerge after training.
They clutched autograph books and scarves, occasionally chatting amongst themselves about glimpses they'd caught during the session, their voices were buzzing with anticipation.
Most of the other players had already departed, signing a few autographs and heading to their accommodations.
Pogba had spent ten minutes with fans, his laughter was resounding across the car park. Griezmann had posed for selfies, pulling faces that sent the younger fans into giggles. But the fans were still waiting for the one person they most wanted to see—their captain, who had yet to appear.
Then, as Julien emerged wearing his dark blue training jacket and carrying his black kit bag over one shoulder, a young girl with a ponytail was the first to react.
She bounced on her toes, holding up a sign featuring a hand-drawn World Cup trophy complete with ribbons and French flags, and shouted, "Julien!"
Julien's appearance ignited the entire crowd like a match to kindling.
Following her gaze, the other fans surged forward in a wave of blue jersey and excited voices. Phones rose into the air, recording the moment, camera flashes were filling the gathering dusk.
"Julien! Lead us to another World Cup trophy!"
Someone called out first, his voice was cracking with emotion, and immediately more voices joined in, building into an impromptu chorus.
"Champions! French champions!"
"Julien! We're counting on you for next year's World Cup!"
Julien stopped walking rather than pushing past them or ducking into a waiting vehicle.
He turned slightly and gestured to the team security staff who had instinctively moved to form a protective barrier, indicating they shouldn't aggressively hold the fans back.
Then he raised his hand in acknowledgment, his face was breaking into a warm smile. "Thank you all for waiting so late."
Before he'd finished speaking, a small boy wearing an oversized replica jersey that hung past his knees squeezed to the front, nearly tripping over the excess cloth as he craned his neck to hold up an autograph book.
In a high-pitched voice filled with earnest determination, he declared, "Julien, I want your autograph, and I want to watch you win the World Cup!"
Julien crouched down to the boy's level, knees hitting the pavement, accepting the pen carefully and adjusting his position to ensure the tip wouldn't accidentally poke the child's hand.
As he signed with slow, legible strokes, he asked with interest, "How old are you? Do you play football?"
"Seven years old," the boy announced proudly, puffing out his small chest. "I play striker."
Julien added an extra curl to the signature with his squad number. "Striker is a great position. Maybe someday you'll be even better than me."
The surrounding fans laughed warmly at the exchange, and the boy's face turned crimson with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.
An older fan, perhaps in his sixties with graying temples and wrinkled hands that spoke of decades supporting Les Bleus, seized the opportunity to pass forward a scarf. "Julien, we've been waiting for another World Cup trophy since 2006! You have to help us fulfill this dream!"
Julien took the scarf which looked faded from years of washing, but was clearly well-loved and signed it with care near the embroidered cockerel emblem.
"My teammates and I are all working toward that goal. The World Cup isn't about one individual—it's the objective of the entire French squad. We'll prepare step by step and do everything we can not to disappoint your expectations."
"But we can't do it without you!" another fan called out enthusiastically, a woman in her thirties was wearing a scarf and hat despite the mild evening. "Look how brilliant you are at club level—you'll be even better with the national team!"
Julien shook his head with a modest smile, though his eyes showed appreciation for the sentiment. "We can't do it without anyone. Every player matters."
He continued patiently signing every autograph book, program, and shirt passed his way.
When supporters held up miniature World Cup trophy replicas, some clearly homemade, constructed from painted cardboard and glitter, he'd reach out to touch the base and say something like, "We'll work hard to get closer to the real thing."
One young woman, maybe twenty years old with tears glistening in her eyes, handed him a keychain featuring his portrait and said softly, "Take care of yourself. Don't overdo it."
He accepted it with appreciation, holding it up to examine the craftsmanship before slipping it into his jacket pocket. "Thank you for caring. You all should head home and get some rest too."
By the time he'd signed the last autograph which was a football held in the air by an elderly man who explained it had been signed by the '98 World Cup squad and now needed just one more signature to complete the collection—twilight had deepened around them.
The golden light had faded to dusky purple, and the temperature had dropped enough that breath misted faintly in the air.
Though reluctant to leave, the supporters gradually stepped back, creating a narrow path for him to walk through.
When Julien reached the street corner where the team vehicle waited, engine idling quietly, he turned back one final time.
Raising his hand toward the crowd, he called out with conviction that carried across the evening air, "Next year's World Cup—let's all support France together!"
The shouting erupted again behind him, this time mixed with responses that felt less like requests and more like promises:
"Go for it!"
"We're waiting!"
"We believe in you!"
Julien smiled and nodded before turning to climb into the waiting team vehicle.
Through the window as the car pulled away, he could still see fans waving their flags and scarves, their blue jerseys catching the last traces of daylight like fragments of sky brought down to earth.
Some were already walking toward the train station, others lingered, unwilling to let the moment fully end.
France hosted Australia in a friendly that drew a respectable crowd to the Stade de France, it was not a complete sellout, but the stands were roughly seventy to eighty percent full, with approximately 65,000 supporters creating a respectable atmosphere under the iconic white arches of the stadium.
The result certainly rewarded those who attended.
France demolished Australia 6-0 at home, and they were arguably playing within themselves, treating the match as an extended training exercise rather than a competitive examination.
Four goals crashed into the Australian net during the first half alone.
After Deschamps withdrew six starters for the second period, giving fringe players valuable minutes and protecting key men from unnecessary fatigue or injury, France only managed two more goals—though "only" seemed almost dismissive given the comprehensive nature of the victory.
Australia never raised any meaningful resistance throughout the ninety minutes.
Four days later, in France's final World Cup qualifying match, they again dominated at home, dispatching Finland 3-0 in front of another strong crowd with Julien scoring twice.
The victory was never in doubt.
France played with the confidence of a team that knew their World Cup place was already secured, using the match to fine-tune details and build rhythm rather than chase goals desperately.
With that match, the entire World Cup qualifying phase officially concluded.
Across eight qualifying matches, Julien had scored sixteen goals and provided three assists—an absolutely staggering return that made him not just the best performer in European qualifying, but one of the most prolific players in World Cup qualification history across any confederation.
To put this in perspective, the previous European record for a single qualifying campaign had been twelve goals, and Julien had shattered that benchmark.
The media coverage was instant and effusive, with newspapers across Europe leading their sports sections with Julien's achievements.
L'Équipe, France's premier sports daily, dedicated their front page to the accomplishment:
"France defeats Finland 3-0, securing their World Cup ticket with an unbeaten eight-match record. Captain Julien De Rocca scored twice, bringing his qualifying tally to sixteen goals—a new record for a single European qualifying campaign.
UEFA officially announced he won the Best Player award by unanimous vote, with the citation praising his demonstration of complete dominance on France's right flank. At just Eighteen years old, Julien has established himself not merely as a promising talent but as the fulcrum around which Deschamps is constructing France's World Cup challenge."
Kicker, Germany's authoritative football magazine, weighed in with German appreciation for statistical excellence:
"European qualifying concludes with France displaying crushing superiority, winning 6-0 against Australia and 3-0 against Finland within four days, both clean sheets maintaining their defensive solidity. Key man Julien De Rocca averaged two goals per match across the qualifying campaign, a rate of output that belongs in a different conversation than normal international football.
His wing play and cutting inside rendered opposition defenses utterly helpless, with even organized, disciplined teams unable to find solutions to his direct running and decision-making. We can fully anticipate what this French captain will produce next year at the World Cup."
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