Chapter 728 - 728: Chapter-726 Good News

Honestly, when they first saw the news, Julien and the others were stunned.

Here they were, grinding through preparation, sweating and miserable and their opponents were just... calling it off.

It was genuinely bewildering.

Word of the strike spread fast.

Soon enough, everyone learned the real story through the media.

It really was bizarre.

The Nigerian team, it turned out, had been nursing a long-simmering grudge against their own football association over unpaid bonuses, and news broke that the entire squad was boycotting training.

Some players had gone further, publicly threatening that if the bonus issue wasn't resolved properly, they would flatly refuse to play the Round of 16 match against France.

The reporting laid it all out clearly.

The Nigerian Football Federation had made the team an explicit promise beforehand: for every match won, each player would receive a ten-thousand-dollar win bonus.

That promise was meant to be the spark driving the players to fight for everything on the World Cup stage and after the squad had fought its way out of the group stage and earned a knockout berth, the players had every reason to expect the federation would make good on its word.

And yet—since the group stage wrapped up, that promised bonus still hadn't appeared.

The endless stalling and excuses had let resentment build and build among the players, until finally they chose to protest by refusing to train.

They were even willing to threaten boycotting the match itself over it—it was a genuinely rare off-field episode in World Cup history.

What was more attention-grabbing was: Nigerian head coach Keshi, in a media interview, made no effort to hide his fury, and began publicly tearing into the federation's officials for their inaction and broken promises.

Keshi said sharply with anger: "Our players give everything they have on the pitch; they win glory for their country—and the federation can't even pay the bonus it promised, on time. Behaviour like that does nothing but break the players' hearts. It'll tear this team apart."

It only confirmed, from another angle, that tensions between the team and the federation had reached a breaking point—this training boycott hadn't come out of nowhere.

Honestly speaking, seeing a story like this, right about now, gave the French squad a strange sense of déjà vu—like looking in a mirror.

That particular feeling of watching someone else's drama unfold.

Was this what it had felt like for every other national team, watching France implode with their own training boycott and infighting, at the last World Cup?

Looking back on that whole episode now, even Evra who'd lived through it himself—had to admit they'd been more than a little out of their minds back then.

Just as the outside world was buzzing with speculation over whether this knockout match could even go ahead, and FIFA itself was watching the situation closely—

Nigeria's team press officer moved fast, issuing an official statement declaring the training boycott resolved.

The statement said the team and the federation had reached an agreement on the bonus issue, that the matter had been properly handled, that the players had ended their boycott and thrown themselves back into intensive preparation, and that the squad had already departed for the match venue against France, fully focused on the upcoming Round of 16 fixture.

That said—the statement offered no detail on exactly how the bonus would be paid out. It only stressed that both sides had put their differences behind them, that the team would set aside the off-field disruption, and that they intended to meet the match in their best form, so as not to let the fans down.

And with that, the bizarre little boycott saga quietly settled down, for now.

But still—in the eyes of football fans around the world, African teams had just handed the stereotype one more piece of evidence.

This tournament alone, beyond Nigeria boycotting over bonus money, there was also this: during the group stage, Ghana's players had reportedly lined up in the locker room to collect cash payouts.

And in that same group stage, during Cameroon's brutal 0–4 defeat to Croatia, Alexandre Song nowhere near the ball—elbowed his own teammate Benoît Assou-Ekotto and was sent off with a red card, it was also a rare case in World Cup history of teammates coming to blows.

And that, apparently, was the fine matchmaking mechanism of the African qualifying region at work. And this was only the current tournament.

Stretch the timeline back further, and there were plenty more entertaining stories to tell.

Of course—France could enjoy the gossip all they wanted, but training carried on exactly as scheduled.

At last, on June 29th—on the eve of Brazil's World Cup Round of 16 clash against Nigeria, France's pre-match press conference went ahead as planned.

Reporters packed the room.

Deschamps wore a faint smile, fielding questions with confidence.

Right out of the gate, a reporter asked about the team's preparations—specifically how the squad had adjusted to the 1 p.m. Brasília kickoff time, and how the players' condition had settled after Ribéry's injury withdrawal.

Deschamps gave a small nod. "These past weeks, we've been working hard to adapt to the rhythm of a one o'clock kick-off. We've shifted our sleep schedule, pushed back wake-up times, arranged a special brunch—all to make sure the players hold their peak physical condition through that window of the match.

The heat's given us real challenges, no question. But we've prepared thoroughly for it. Training schedules, hydration protocols—we've been meticulous down to the smallest detail.

Of course, everyone already knows this hasn't been a perfect World Cup run for us. We'd barely landed in São Paulo when bad news hit—Franck's back injury flared up and forced him out of the tournament. That was a real blow for us.

But it also, unexpectedly, lit a fire under the rest of the squad. Right now, the team's overall condition is good. Everyone's giving everything they have to prepare for tomorrow's match at Estádio Nacional de Brasília."

When he was asked about their opponent Nigeria, Deschamps's smile faded. "We've seen how serious a test this match is. Nigeria attacks with strong pace, and their defence is unusually solid—this is going to be a contest that demands intelligence and strategy.

I know they've had some off-field distractions recently, but that won't make us let our guard down for a second. Simply making it out of the group stage is proof enough of their quality.

Whatever's happened off the pitch, the moment they step onto the field at Estádio Nacional de Brasília, they'll be the strongest opponent we've faced. We'll study their tactical patterns carefully, prepare our defence thoroughly, and bring our own attacking strengths to bear—giving everything we have in this must-win match."

Then a reporter went straight for the big question and asked: "Could France bring the World Cup trophy home again?"

Deschamps gave a small shake of his head. "What we need to do right now is stay grounded. We can't afford a single mistake because out here, one slip and you won't even get the chance to regret it."

He went on to say: "The knockout stage isn't the group stage. Every mistake can end your tournament. It's far too early to talk about the trophy. All we can do is focus on right now, and get every detail right."

With Spain, Italy, England, and other European heavyweights already eliminated one after another, there was growing chatter about whether this World Cup was turning into a de facto Copa América.

A reporter pressed Deschamps on this directly: "Can France defend Europe's honour and bring the trophy back home?"

Facing the question, Deschamps stayed characteristically low-key. "Right now, we're only thinking about tomorrow's must-win match against Nigeria. As for whether we can bring the World Cup back for Europe—I haven't had time to think about that. I don't dare to."

In fact, as he answered that question, everything from the past came flooding back through Deschamps's mind, whether he wanted it to or not.

He couldn't help but feel the weight of it.

As captain of France's "golden generation" —champions of the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship—he had once fought shoulder to shoulder with giants of the game like Zidane.

But after losing the 2006 World Cup final in Germany to Italy, he'd faded from view along with the rest of that golden generation.

And at the last World Cup, France hadn't even made it out of the group stage, torn apart by infighting—the once-untouchable Gallic Rooster had, for a time, fallen from its pedestal.

So Deschamps continued, "When I took over as national coach, what I wanted was to guide French football back onto the road to revival. And more than anything, the players need to understand what team spirit really means. I refuse to let infighting shatter everything we're building again. So right now, the trophy isn't what matters most. What matters is that we're on the right path."

Then another reporter asked about the condition of the team's key player, Julien.

A warm, relieved smile spread across Deschamps's face. "Julien's in excellent form. He's been training hard this whole stretch, working actively on himself. He didn't feature in the last match, but he's kept his competitive edge burning the entire time.

He's the core of this team, a vital force in our attack. I trust he'll keep contributing to the team tomorrow. And of course, I trust the other players will stand shoulder to shoulder with him, fighting together and showing what we're capable of as a team.

Football isn't a one-man fight. Only if we stay united can we go further."

As for the other side, Nigeria's head coach Keshi found himself fielding far more questions from reporters about the inside story of the boycott.

But it seemed the Nigerian federation had finally come through with the money.

Because this time, Keshi didn't erupt in fury. Instead, he simply said: "The matter's been resolved. What we need now is to look forward, and fight to get past France."

The next day.

Noon in Brasília, and the sun beat down on the earth like open flame.

The air hung thick and stifling; even the faintest breeze couldn't chase off the heat. The grass and trees around the stadium drooped slightly under the blaze, and the ground temperature kept climbing.

It felt as though the whole city might simply melt into this scorching land.

But none of that heat could dampen the fans' enthusiasm. With a full hour still to go before the 1 p.m. Brasília kick off—the area outside Estádio Nacional de Brasília was already roaring with noise, fans were pouring in from every direction.

They packed the grounds until there wasn't room to move.

A celebration belonging entirely to football was about to begin—at the hottest hour of the day.

Inside and outside the stadium, fans from both camps were cheering on their teams however they knew how, the atmosphere was so electric it made people forget the heat.

French fans held banners printed with Julien's name, waving French flags, chanting; on the other side, Nigerian fans in their signature green kits pounded out rhythmic drumbeats and chants, roaring on the Super Eagles.

The third match day of the knockout round was about to begin!

Over the previous two match days—four teams had already been sent home.

The first match of the round: hosts Brazil and Chile fought out a South American derby, both regulation time and extra time ending 1–1, the contest was finally decided on penalties.

Brazilian keeper Júlio César was stimulated, saving two of Chile's spot kicks, and Neymar buried the winning penalty in the final round. Brazil edged through 4–3 on aggregate, scraping into the quarterfinals.

The second match: Colombia, riding a dazzling performance from their talisman James Rodríguez, controlled the tempo throughout and beat Uruguay 2–1.

Suárez pulled one back for Uruguay but missed a late chance to level it.

On the other side, James scored twice himself, showing off extraordinary individual quality and carrying his side proudly into the quarterfinals—establishing himself as one of the breakout stars of this World Cup.

The third match:

the Netherlands and Mexico produced a genuinely dramatic contest. Mexico broke the deadlock first in the second half and looked set to hold on, but with the match seemingly slipping away, the Dutch struck twice in the final six minutes—Sneijder levelling it first, then Huntelaar converting a penalty to complete the comeback.

The Netherlands won 2–1, while Mexico were knocked out in the round of 16 for a sixth straight World Cup.

The fourth match: this tournament's biggest underdog story, Costa Rica, faced Greece. Both regulation time and extra time finished 1–1, sending it to penalties.

Every Costa Rican taker converted, while Greece missed twice. Costa Rica won 6–4 on aggregate, advancing to the quarterfinals and continuing to write their underdog legend.

Today:

France vs. Nigeria, Germany vs. Algeria.

Another set of matchups pitting Europe against Africa.

Naturally, most fans still expected both European sides to come through.

Estádio Nacional de Brasília.

Beyond the die-hard French and Nigerian fans, a huge number of local Brazilian fans had poured into the stadium as well.

They applauded both sets of fans' enthusiasm from time to time, occasionally joining in the chants of either side without picking a team.

Plenty of neutral fans from all over the world drifted through the crowd too, all sharing in the anticipation as kick-off approached.

Inside the stadium—the seats were steadily filling, cheers, chants, and drumbeats were weaving together into one continuous roar.

The fans didn't seem to care in the slightest that they were drenched in sweat.

They kept their eyes fixed on the players' tunnel, waiting eagerly for both squads to emerge.

Having finished their warmups, both teams had already returned to their locker rooms for final preparations.

Kick-off was almost here!

At that moment—the commentators had already begun running through both starting lineups.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're just ten minutes away now from kick-off in this Round of 16 clash between France and Nigeria at the Brazil World Cup.

It's brutally hot out here, and the fans are matching that heat with their own energy, the whole stadium has completely come alive.

Wave after wave of cheering, all building toward kickoff!

Now—let's reveal both sides' starting lineups for today!

Starting with France: in goal, Lloris; the back line, from right to left, Debuchy, Varane, Koscielny, Evra; the midfield made up of Pogba, Cabaye, and Matuidi;

And up front, Julien, Giroud, and Griezmann lining up together—all three of France's key attacking players taking the pitch as one unit, and we're all hoping they can carry forward their recent scoring form and find the net for France...

Nigeria, meanwhile, lines up in a 4-2-3-1: in goal, Enyeama; the back line, from right to left, Ambrose, Yobo, Omeruo, Oshoniwa; the double pivot handled by Mikel and Onazi; the midfield three made up of Ahmed Musa, Moses, and Odemwingie.

Leading the line is Emenike, that pace-driven striker who'll be Nigeria's key weapon on the counterattack..."

At this exact moment in the French locker room, Deschamps was delivering his final instructions.

Having finished laying out the tactical plan, he turned to face Julien.

"Julien, I need to change your position—just for this one."

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