The crazy two World Cups in Qatar: France simply conjures up the curse short and small

Actually, the reigning world champion can not get past the group stage, this escape is a rule.

The crazy two World Cups in Qatar: France simply conjures up the curse short and small

Actually, the reigning world champion can not get past the group stage, this escape is a rule. But France breaks with this witchcraft brilliantly - and magician Mbappé shows that two tournaments are taking place in Qatar at the same time.

A curse is one thing. Nobody really wants to believe in it. But when everything goes in the "cursed" direction again, suddenly everyone is talking about witchcraft. It is well known that there are some famous and extremely powerful abaca dabras in football. Pirates of the Caribbean pretty much nothing against it. A "Hex Hex" by Bibi Blocksberg or an Imperius curse by Professor Moody (the supposed one before the evil Harry Potter fan mails rained down on the editors and on the Dursleys' house) certainly not.

There is, for example, the (irony on) completely justified curse at Wembley, where in 1966 the nasty English cheated the poor Germans away from victory and then, quite rightly, had to experience at least 56 years of football suffering (irony off). Up until 2014, the football gods had also cast a spell on any European who set foot on South American soil during a World Cup. Which elixir Joachim Löw then gave his men to exorcise them? Feel free to ask him.

And then, of course, there's that darn world champion hex. At some point he crept into the World Cup and has been up to mischief ever since. Although he is still quite young, he hits all the harder on whoever catches him. A real badass curse, works directly for four years. But somehow also a nice fairness curse. Depending on your perspective.

It works like this: When the trophy is accepted after winning the World Cup, the winning nation is bewitched in such a way that at most they can still qualify for the next intercontinental tournament, but then it's enough and the group phase is over. This evil spell sent home four of the last five world champions before the knockout stage. Feel free to ask Löw again how this curse feels on your own body. It could also be a Faustian pact and the World Cup winners sold their next tournament soul for the title? In any case, France failed in 2002 after winning the 1998 World Cup in the preliminary round. A bad omen?

Well, whatever the exact effect of the curse, the French may have contacted every voodoomaster in the République and attended tea, cactus and various drug ceremonies - none of which seems to have done anything ahead of the World Cup. First the important midfield drivers N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba are out, then with Presnel Kimpembe an anchor in the defense. And because the world champion ghost is a joker, he also pinches Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema in the hip just before the first game of Les Bleus.

So against Australia, France not only has to defeat the uncomfortable Socceroos, but also this damn curse. "I'm not concerned with that," said head coach Didier Deschamps before the game. Be careful, something like this has really upset some ghosts, witchers or black magicians.

At the Al-Janoub Stadium in the port city of Al-Wakrah, France attacked with Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud and immediately started a rush à la: We just overrun the curse. Ousmane Dembelé and Kylian Mbappé make a big fuss on the wings. It's just stupid that even the simplest forest witch doesn't fall for this cheap trick. And so the curse takes revenge in the 9th minute. And twice: First, Bayern's Lucas Hernández twisted his knee in a duel and was unable to prevent a sharp cross from the right, which Craig Goodwin coldly hit into the net to take the lead. "Down Under" by Men at Work makes the "Aussies" dance, "quel malheur" grumbles the French.

Deschamp's men were in for more trouble when Mitchell Duke pulled the shot after a disastrous 22nd-minute miss from substitute Hernández's brother Theo. But the beam from a shot rushes centimeters past the right post. Keeper Hugo Lloris would not have been able to get close. And so superstar Mbappé continues to dance diligently past the first opponent on the left, but usually fails on the second or third.

Until the equalizer suddenly falls in the 27th minute. And of course it's a vulgar half-field cross and a simple header from midfielder Adrien Rabiot that bring the goal. Even the best mumbo-jumbo does not help against these football simplifications, which often work wonders even in today's high-speed game.

Nor against gross blunders by opponents. And so Les Bleus thwarted the witchcraft in the 32nd minute when the Australians lost the ball in their own build-up and Mbappé beautifully (despite the appropriate trope, magical would be too much) put a heel on Rabiot. Giroud only has to insert his pass in the six-yard space. A La Ola sloshes through the stadium. Has Deschamps really found the antidote to the reigning champion curse?

Yes - and it's called Kylian Mbappé. At first, the super striker was still a little under the spell of black magic and, after strong Griezmann preparatory work, he didn't miss the ball with a sliding tackle from three meters, but he did miss the goal. He has to grin himself and knows that he will soon shake off the curse completely. At the other end, Jackson Irvine hits the post.

Damn, there are actually two World Cups at this tournament in Qatar: that of the hosts and FIFA, which create such loud and disgusting noise that it drowns out the screams of those who have suffered for this mega event. And then these exciting games, some of which are beautiful to look at. After England, France proves how successful and attractive offensive football can be. Did the German national team watch in the team quarters before the first game against Japan in the afternoon (2 p.m. / ARD and in the live ticker on ntv.de)?

The second half starts with the next big French chance: Giroud lies fantastically across the air, but his magical side pull (which is quite permissible with this acrobatics) just misses the goal. And the Équipe Tricolore continues to put a lot of pressure on and sometimes combines with their enormous offensive power into a frenzy. First the Australians save on the line and then it is actually the dribbling artists from the flanks who make the deserved 3:1. Again it's a simple chip ball, this time from Dembélé, which finds the head of Mbappé, who is rising at the perfect moment. At the age of 23, the superstar already has five World Cup goals under his belt.

After that, the PSG megastar starts with his very own witchcraft performance and plays like a drunk. On the left, Mbappé inimitably leaves his first opponent standing with a body deception, then nibbles on two defenders with a change of pace, before finally crossing perfectly into the middle of the penalty area, where Giroud now also hits with a head. And Mabppé doesn't stop. Leg shot follows leg shot, step over follows step over. The attacker knows very well that this World Cup can be his, since Ronaldo and Messi are aging and human and a certain Haaland is not playing at all.

Now the curse would have to haunt the remaining two group games if he wants to screw up the post-world champion World Cup for these strong Frenchmen. On the contrary: France will live up to its role in Qatar - at the second World Cup, the sporting one - alongside England as the second favorite. With one more victory, Les Bleus can finally defeat the curse - as long as they haven't made an even more devilish pact to create this witcher Mbappé.