Kylian Mbappé, Jules Koundé and Ousmane Dembélé will join the ranks of the French National Team for the Soccer World Cup, which will take place between June 11 and July 19 in Mexico, the United States and Canada. But in the video created by the French Football Federation, the players become the protagonists of an American television comedy.
The French coach, Didier Deschamps, revealed the list of players who will shape the team with which the French hope to win their third World Cup. He did so, as usual, in a press conference, but also with an ingenious and fun short film, in line with the trend that has brought the worlds of sport and entertainment closer together in recent years.
The adventure of the French National Team begins at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston
The French National Team’s adventure begins in the United States, specifically in Boston, staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston and training at Bentley University in Waltham. And that is why the federation has opted to combine both recognizable elements of French culture with the codes of the popular American sitcoms of the 80s and 90s.
Thus, he has created the fictional universe of “Clear Fountain”, a city that evokes Clairefontaine, the authentic training center of the French team. It progressively reveals the players enjoying the usual routine of the city, from breakfast or the corresponding traffic jam, to leisure after the work day, in parallel with their role on the field, that is, from goalkeepers to forwards.
It is articulated with the claim “Chacun a un rôle à jouer” (We all have a role to play).
The video is full of details that appeal to French culture, such as the fictitious Cocorico cereal brand, with the rooster, symbol of France, as its logo; or the presence of brioche bread. Throughout the piece, the players show off the different kits that they will wear throughout the tournament, developed by Nike, which has a prominent presence in creativity. Coca-Cola and Funko also appear in the video.
All of this is combined with direct allusions to American culture, expressed in diner-style restaurants, convenience stores or barbecues, with hot dogs and hamburgers. In the video there are also nods to Mexico or Canada, through the presence of their flags, or elements such as guacamole, churros or jalapeños.
The communication has been complemented with a more institutional video that also presents the players who have been called up for the competition, through video fragments playing on the field for the French National Team or other moments linked to the national team.
Didier Deschamps also announced the list on the TF1 network’s evening news program.
