In what was a nail-biting conclusion to a fiercely competitive match, France secured a historic victory over reigning world champion, Hungary, at the quarter-final stage of the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. With only three seconds remaining on the clock, Thomas Vernoux took control of the ball and executed a spectacular long shot that outsmarted the Hungarian goalkeeper. This marked a significant moment in France’s sporting history, as they achieved a remarkable 11-10 win, advancing to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time.
Prior to this, France’s best performance was securing sixth place in the previous year’s tournament held in Japan. Their journey to the semi-finals was marked by a hard-fought victory over Australia, which they achieved with a score of 11-8. Now, under the leadership of Florian Bruzzo, the team is set to confront Croatia for a spot in the final. This winning streak bodes well for the French team, who are looking forward to competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, which is just a little over half a year away.
Achieving victory over the formidable Hungarian team was no easy feat. The French team displayed remarkable defensive strength, even though they struggled offensively in the first phase of the match, managing to score only 3 out of 13 attempted shots. They trailed by 4 goals with a score of 3-7. However, Thomas Vernoux took the lead in the third quarter, scoring two goals. Goalkeeper Hugo Fontani made a series of saves, including a penalty, which helped reduce the score difference to 8-6, marking the beginning of France’s comeback.
In the final round, France found their rhythm in attack, scoring four consecutive goals thanks to Ugo Crousillat, Romain Marion-Vernoux, and Thomas Vernoux, who scored twice. Hungary managed to equalize the score twice (9-9, 10-10), but it was Thomas Vernoux’s skill that made the difference, scoring the winning goal in a decisive final move, securing a historic victory for France.
