Next Chapter in Centuries-Long English-French Rivalry Unfolds Saturday

France and England have met on the battlefield before. From the Middle Ages through Waterloo, not to mention the American war of independence, the enmity between the countries is etched in history. On Saturday, will Mbappe versus Kane be added to that lore?Unlike during times of actual war, the sides now are at least pretending to be civil about their ancient rivalry. The British Broadcasting Corporation went so far as to run a long feature Friday morning singing the praises of the 23-year-old French striker who has scored more goals so far than anyone else in the 2022 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe.The only time England was even mentioned in the BBC piece was in a recording of two women at Paris, cheering the English squad’s captain with French accents: “Harry Kane, Harry Kane.” Yet even then, the one-time staunchly patriotic broadcaster made sure to note that the women were in fact cheering on France to win. Hard to imagine an 18th century English town crier following the familiar “Oyez, oyez oyez” with adoring details on the life story of King Louis XVI. Sure, the French monarch was no product of the poorer Paris suburbs, or the son of immigrants from the colonies, like Mr. Mbappe, but then again, rags-to-riches stories weren’t all the rage in the 1700s. Back then, had any English purveyor of news praised anyone on the opposing team, he would have been pelted with rotten tomatoes at the public square, and then hanged. Now, the Beeb apparently puts a premium on virtues — ending poverty, race equity, dedication to environmental causes — over national pride. Meanwhile, as President Biden told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during their recent pomp-filled visit, France is America’s oldest ally. As part of its endless wars against England, the French government embraced our revolution and helped George Washington defeat King George III’s colonizing army. Over the last century and into the current one, however, Britain has allied itself with America more often than France. Most French, for one, now consider themselves heirs of Charles De Gaulle’s resistance and therefore on the Allies’ side in World War II. Never mind that the Vichy government was on Hitler’s side.More importantly, the ties between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt have turned into a special relationship, one that arguably lasted longer than the beautiful friendship between Rick Blaine and Captain Renault that began at Casablanca. Many Americans switched to freedom fries when the French — what some called the cheese-eating surrender monkeys — sided with Saddam Hussein even while a British premier, Tony Blair, allied with President George W. Bush on the eve of the Iraq war. At the United Nations, France led the resistance: This time not to Hitler but to Mr. Bush.Even as Americans quickly turned sour on that war, France remained etched in our memory as a nation always eager to appease the other side. Never mind that in the war against terrorism Paris constantly sent troops to Mali and other places where Al Qaeda derivatives were active.When President Obama drew a Syrian red line on the use of chemical weapons, French Mirage fighter jets were warmed up, ready for battle. Then, after the French leader, Nicolas Sarkozy, risked his political future on siding with America on a regime-changing war, he quietly seethed as Mr. Obama decided that his line had never been all that red after all. Who is the surrenderer now, Mr. Sarkozy may have thought. Critics of France say it only goes to war in its former colonies, where it still hopes to maintain a degree of francophone sway. Which brings us back to the son of a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother, who, with five goals and counting is the most prolific scorer at the Qatar tournament. Not only is Mr. Mbappe a candidate for the much coveted golden boot that goes to the tournament’s most valuable player, he is the fastest dribbler in Qatar and likely the most creative player inside the box. His unique versatility makes him a dangerous scorer from the left, right, and center. Yet can the English team’s captain, Mr. Kane, play the Duke of Wellington to this mighty French Napoleon? At 29, the Tottenham Hotspur striker’s career is peaking. He remains a matinee idol, and on the field the former top scorer now shines mostly in goal assists. The Cup’s governing body, FIFA, rates Mr. Kane as the fifth best world striker in a list topped by Mr. Mbappe. With Brexit, England decided to forgo the European Union, where Mr. Macron is now a leading figure. Admiral Nelson’s column still stands proud at Trafalgar Square. Proud Parisians still scoff at English pub food. Forget all that, though: Neither war history nor traditional jealousies will turn Saturday’s match. After Brazil’s loss on penalty kicks to Croatia on Friday, bettors currently favor Mbappe & Company to win it all in Qatar. Yet, Team England is resilient, so while oddsmakers give France a slight edge Saturday, this one is a toss-up — and therefore a must-watch battle.

Next Chapter in Centuries-Long English-French Rivalry Unfolds Saturday

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