Location: Pondichery India

Once ruled by French Pondichery Union territory still have lots of french citizens. The French Consulate collaborated with the administration, to organise a screening of the final on a large monitor at the public square in Gandhi Thidal. Football fans in the city with a substantial French population, thronged venues where special screenings were held on big screens or watched with groups of friends

Hoping for history to repeat itself a third time, and for France to defend its title four years after being crowned world champions in 2018 in Russia, scores of football fans in this city with a substantial French population, thronged venues where special screenings were held on mounted big screens or watched with groups of friends.

In the spirit of the momentous occasion, the French Consulate collaborated with the administration, to organise a screening of the final on a large monitor at the public square in Gandhi Thidal.

Though the big screen at the beach glitched for a while streaming only audio, and France were trailing 0-2 as the first half ended, no one dared to leave as they waited for some magic from their hero Kylian Mbappe. And, when Mbappe scored a brace in the second half to pull France level, fans went berserk. Over at The Spot, the quiet recreational space of Alliance Francaise, the feeling after the first half was that Argentine had put on a clinic.

Though Les Bleus fans may have been heartbroken with the denouement, they can also take solace from Mbappe showing his greatness on the most hallowed of world stages and taking home the Golden Boot for most goals (eight), including a hat-trick in the finals, and for having been witness to arguably the greatest final in football world cup history...