Julien's obsession with the Ballon d'Or was nowhere near as deep as his obsession with the World Cup.
The Ballon d'Or came around every year.
A World Cup title, though that came once every four years!
Time slipped by quickly.
The next day, after a light recovery session, the entire French squad gathered once more to watch Argentina take on the Netherlands.
For the French side, this match mattered enormously.
Their potential final opponent would be decided!
At five that afternoon, the whole squad reconvened in the hotel conference room to watch Argentina and the Netherlands together.
This clash to decide who would reach the final had drawn the eyes of football fans across the globe.
The stadium was packed to capacity, orange-and-white and blue-and-white jerseys shining side by side.
Cheers and roars rolled through the entire ground.
In eight previous competitive meetings between the two sides, the Netherlands held a clear edge with four wins, three draws, and one loss. Across four meetings in World Cup finals tournaments, the Dutch also came out slightly ahead, with two wins, one draw, and one loss.
The lone exception was 1978, when Argentina beat the Netherlands 3–1 in the final on home soil—the only time the Pampas Eagles had ever defeated the Oranje at a World Cup.
Both sides made key changes to their lineups for this match.
For the Netherlands, De Jong previously reported to have been ruled out of the World Cup with a groin injury, unexpectedly returned to the starting eleven. Van Persie fought through a stomach infection to start, Vlaar played through injury, and Depay was surprisingly demoted to the bench.
For Argentina, Di María was sidelined through injury, with Enzo Pérez stepping in to fill the gap in the starting lineup, while Rojo returned from a suspension.
Before kick-off, the players wore black armbands in solemn tribute to the recently deceased Alfredo Di Stéfano, the legendary Argentine-born star.
He had also served as Real Madrid's honorary lifetime president.
Messi, making his 92nd international appearance, moved past Maradona to sit alone in sixth on Argentina's all-time appearance list, adding another chapter to the team's storied legacy.
From the opening whistle, the two sides threw themselves into a fierce contest.
The rhythm of attack and defence shifted at quick speed!
The Dutch shape pushed noticeably higher up the pitch, with Kuyt and Robben knifing in repeatedly down the flanks while Sneijder dictated tempo through the middle, all trying to break the deadlock early.
Argentina, meanwhile, built their play around Messi as the connecting fibre, linking up through central areas, with Higuaín and Lavezzi lurking up front, waiting for their chance to strike on the counter.
In the 14th minute, Argentina won a free kick 25 meters out on the right flank. Messi stepped up to take it—the ball curled around the wall, bearing straight for the corner of the goal, but Dutch keeper Cillessen reacted in a flash, twisting his body to parry it away and gathering it securely into his arms, snuffing out the danger.
Messi shook his head helplessly.
Watching that Argentine free kick go begging, Pogba couldn't resist a joke: "Guess Messi's not all that after all—not like Julien. From that spot, Julien would've buried it for sure."
The comment drew nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the squad.
Julien waved a hand, telling everyone to just keep watching the match and quit talking nonsense.
The first half saw both sides probing each other, trading attacks and counterattacks back and forth, but neither could break the deadlock.
The Netherlands' Sneijder picked up the ball in midfield and let fly with a long-range strike—the ball skimmed the post and drifted wide.
Argentina, for their part, generated a threat from a corner: Garay met a left-side corner kick, throwing himself forward at the edge of the six-yard box, but put too much on it, and the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Trying to choke off each other's attacks, both defensive lines repeatedly sprang offside traps, snuffing out the opposing side's momentum time and again—the game locked in a tight, tense stalemate.
In the 44th minute, the Netherlands' Martins Indi deliberately tugged at Messi's shirt to stop his run past, and the referee didn't hesitate to show a yellow card.
The half ended with the score frozen at 0–0.
The French players were all in high spirits, too, because they'd noticed something: the two teams in front of them didn't seem all that much stronger than they were.
Their confidence was climbing.
Julien, though, kept his focus trained on Argentina. He knew Argentina would be the one reaching the final.
So, he watched all the more closely.
Without Di María, Argentina's attacking efficiency had dropped off badly.
He had no idea whether Di María might be able to return in time for the final.
At the start of the second half, Dutch manager Van Gaal made the first substitution, bringing on Janmaat for Martins Indi and reshuffling the back line, with Kuyt shifted to the left to shore up both defence and attack down that flank.
After the adjustment, the Dutch back line grew noticeably steadier, and Argentina's attack ground to a halt for a stretch, with several passes intercepted and little penetration into the box.
In the 49th minute, Argentina's Demichelis pulled down Robben near the edge of the box and was shown a yellow card. The Netherlands won a free kick 30 meters out on the left, which Sneijder stepped up to take—his right-footed effort sailed high over the bar, a golden chance was gone to waste.
In the 75th minute, Argentina finally found their best opening of the match: Enzo Pérez slid a diagonal pass in from the right, Higuaín threw himself forward to meet it, and his shot cracked off the side netting. A wave of groans rose from the Argentine fans in the stands, and Higuaín stood with his hands clutched to his head, his face twisted with regret.
Just then a light drizzle began to fall over the pitch, dampening the grass.
It only sharpened the tension of the contest even further.
As the match wound toward its close, both sides quickened their attacking pace, each trying to settle things before the final whistle.
In the 90th minute, the Netherlands strung together a piece of brilliant combination play: Sneijder and Robben, reading each other perfectly, saw Sneijder thread a direct through-ball for Robben, who surged onto it, shrugged off the Argentine defenders, and burst into the box.
His left-footed shot flew toward the near post and just as the ball looked certain to cross the line, Mascherano raced back in time and stuck out a leg to hack it clear off the goal line.
Crack!
The entire stadium erupted at once into a thunderous gasp!
Robben stood with his hands on his hips, unable to hide his frustration, while Sneijder shook his head feebly.
"My God!"
"Incredible!"
"He just saved Argentina!"
Back in the conference room, the French players cried out too—that clearance had been genuinely frightening to watch.
Without Mascherano, the Dutch would have had their winner right there!
In the end, after ninety minutes of regulation, the two sides remained locked at 0–0, and the match was forced into extra time. The fans in the stands held their breath, waiting for the decisive moment.
Extra time stayed just as tight, with both sides playing it carefully, all while still hunting for that killer blow.
In the 96th minute, the Netherlands used their final substitution, bringing on Huntelaar for Van Persie to add firepower up front.
In the 99th minute, Robben cut inside on the right and fired a left-footed shot straight at goal—Argentine keeper Romero reacted quickly, twisting his body to smother it. It was the Dutch side's first shot on target all match, and the Oranje fans leapt to their feet in celebration, only for the goal never to come.
In the 100th minute, Argentina made their own final change, bringing on Maxi Rodríguez, hoping his experience might conjure a chance.
In the 105th minute, Huntelaar caught Mascherano while tracking back and was shown a yellow card.
The first half of extra time came to a close.
The score still stood at 0–0, and both sides headed into the final stretch of the decisive battle.
In the second half of extra time, Argentina launched a fierce assault, creating one clear-cut chance after another.
In the 115th minute, Maxi Rodríguez lofted a chip into the box, Palacio rose to meet it with a header, but he didn't get enough on it, and Cillessen gathered it safely.
In the 117th minute, Messi broke through down the byline on the right, shook off the Dutch defender, and squared it across to the far post—Maxi Rodríguez found himself completely unmarked and swept at it, but he couldn't quite make clean contact, and Cillessen collected it.
Argentina had let another golden chance slip away, and sighs rose one after another through the stands among the Argentine faithful.
In the 120th minute, the Netherlands launched one final push: Janmaat swung a cross in from the right, Kuyt met it with a shot from the middle, but Argentina's defenders got a body in the way just in time, and the ball bounced clear off the byline.
The 120 minutes came to an end, the score still locked firmly at 0–0.
This clash of titans would finally be decided by the cruelty of a penalty shootout—it was the fourth time this World Cup that a match had been settled that way!
Crack, crack, crack!
Applause broke out among the French players in the conference room.
Whatever the outcome of this match—whether it was the Netherlands or Argentina that advanced, it worked out well for France either way.
Because this game had drained both sides completely!
As for the shootout, the French players, watching as neutral bystanders, felt none of that crushing pressure, of course.
Inside the stadium, it was an entirely different story. Neither set of fans could bear to watch anymore.
Very soon, the brutal penalty shootout began!
The Netherlands would take the first kick. The stadium fell into instant, dead silence, both groups of fans were holding their breath, eyes locked without blinking on the goal.
In the first round, the Netherlands' Vlaar stepped up—his right-footed shot went for the bottom right corner, but Argentine keeper Romero read it perfectly and parried it away with ease, sending the Argentine fans into an eruption of cheers.
Messi stepped up next. He sent Cillessen the wrong way, his left-footed shot going toward the left, and the ball found the net cleanly. Argentina led 1–0.
In the second round, Robben stepped forward. He wrong-footed Romero, his left-footed shot going into the bottom-right corner, and the ball found the net—the Netherlands pulled one back.
Garay stepped up next, and his powerful right-footed effort cracked off the underside of the crossbar in the middle of the goal—Cillessen dove desperately but couldn't get near it. Argentina led again, 2–1.
In the third round, Sneijder stepped up, his shot going to the left—Romero saved it again, and the stadium erupted in deafening cheers. The Argentine fans were roaring over now!
The Dutch fans fell silent, their faces were growing grimmer by the moment, able to do nothing now but hope for a miracle.
But…..there was no miracle.
Agüero drilled a low shot into the bottom-left corner, and the ball found the net. Argentina now held a strong 3–1 lead.
In the fourth round, Kuyt converted his kick. Maxi Rodríguez stepped up next, and though Cillessen got a hand to his shot, it still crossed the line—Argentina finally beat the Netherlands 4–2, punching their ticket to the final!
The instant the shootout ended; the Argentine players erupted into wild celebration.
Messi wrapped Romero in a tight embrace—the keeper, who had saved two penalties, was the hero of the entire match!
The players huddled together, weeping with joy, while the Albiceleste fans in the stands waved their flags and roared in celebration.
The Dutch players, meanwhile, stood on the pitch with their heads hung low.
Robben stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes were hollow, while Sneijder sank to the ground, hands buried in his hair, unable to mask his devastation and regret.
The light rain over the Arena Corinthians felt almost like a farewell to veterans like Sneijder, Robben, and Van Persie. After holding on for 120 minutes, the Dutch came up just short in the shootout.
They would not achieve the feat of reaching consecutive World Cup finals.
The crown of "eternal runners-up" would rest without mercy on the Netherlands for another four years.
And the aging Dutch trio no longer had the time left to conquer that golden trophy again.
The orange tulip withered on this rainy night.
The Netherlands were football's uncrowned kings—before this World Cup in Brazil, they had reached the final three times: in 1974, 1978, and 2010.
In 1974, the Dutch side, at the very peak of their powers, was overturned 2–1 by the host nation, West Germany, in the final.
In 1978, even without Cruyff, the Netherlands still fought their way to the final—only to lose 3–1 in extra time to Argentina.
In the 2010 World Cup final, the Netherlands fell 0–1 in extra time to Spain, Iniesta's winner shattering their dream of the World Cup once again.
Across seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, the Dutch had come away with only two wins.
Tonight, the high-probability outcome had struck once more.
On the twelve-yard line of fate, the Netherlands remained, as ever, unlucky and out of sorts.
Krul never got the call to come on, and Van Gaal's team selection came under fire—had the Newcastle keeper been given the chance, would the outcome have been any different?
But all of that could only ever remain a hypothetical, a question that Krul and Van Gaal might spend a lifetime turning over in their minds.
As for Cillessen—not once in his entire career had he ever saved a penalty.
The Oranje faithful wept in silence.
The Netherlands had fallen at the semifinal, their campaign was over.
Argentina, meanwhile, had successfully broken through to the final. They would head to Rio de Janeiro to make their bid for the World Cup title.
On the pitch, Messi watched his celebrating teammates, his face was full of longing. For a superstar who had already achieved every honour the club game had to offer, this was the closest he had ever come to the pinnacle of international glory—he yearned to crown his career with a World Cup title.
Beyond the screen, though, the French players, watching the final result come in, didn't seem all that surprised.
To them, it hardly mattered whether it was the Netherlands or Argentina.
As for Julien, he kept replaying certain moments from the match over and over in his mind.
That it had gone all the way to a shootout was more or less what he'd expected.
Without Di María, Argentina had gone cold.
Across their previous five matches, Argentina had scored eight goals total—not exactly a dazzling number, but they'd found the net in every single one.
Against the Netherlands, Argentina had drawn a blank for the first time, and Di María's absence was clearly the main reason why.
Without Di María's driving runs and breakthroughs through midfield, Argentina struggled to build any fluid combination play through the centre, they were forced to rely almost entirely on Messi's individual brilliance to create danger.
And so, Julien found himself wondering whether Di María could make it back for the final—because an Argentina with Di María and an Argentina without him were, quite literally, two different teams.
His impact on the attacking end simply couldn't be ignored!
Against the Netherlands, Sabella had started Enzo Pérez in Di María's place, but the two occupied clearly different roles on the pitch.
When Di María started, he was deployed in the 4-3-3 as the more advanced of the three midfielders, his range of movement was covering the entire pitch.
With Enzo Pérez in the lineup instead, Argentina's shape shifted closer to a 4-3-1-2, and Messi found himself having to drop deep into midfield just to get on the ball.
The change cut both ways—on the plus side, it added more defensive solidity.
On the downside, though, it meant losing that accelerator in attack, which let the Netherlands mark Messi with two men basically whenever they pleased, without any cost.
In the second half, Messi had even been forced to drop all the way back in front of the centre-backs just to receive the ball.
That would have been unthinkable in matches before this one—Di María had always known how to exploit the space Messi's presence created, but Enzo Pérez clearly couldn't do the same.
It wasn't until the 81st minute, when Sabella brought on Palacio for Enzo Pérez, that Argentina's attack finally began to show signs of life.
The Inter forward had a sharper instinct for pushing forward, and in the 115th minute his headed effort very nearly won the match outright and because he was on the pitch, the Netherlands no longer dared to throw every last defender at containing Messi alone.
Messi mattered enormously.
But Di María mattered just as much!
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