The French national team have been given a heroes' welcome by more than 50,000 fans upon their return to their homeland following their heartbreaking defeat in the World Cup final.
Les Bleus fell to a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Argentina in football's biggest showpiece event. Kylian Mbappe inspired an astonishing comeback, scoring only the second hat-trick in World Cup final history as France twice fought back to equalise.
But Emiliano Martinez's stunning performance in the following shootout led to Argentina lifting the trophy, not Les Bleus. Didier Deschamps ' squad have now flown home aboard an Air France jet, landing at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport on Monday evening.
They have been greeted by a heroes welcome upon their return, with fans gathering at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Deschamps and captain Hugo Lloris were the first to step off the plane, which was surrounded by journalists and photographers.
Airport workers gave the squad a guard of honour as they departed the plane and walked over to their team bus. Two flight attendants stood just outside the plane's door holding French flags.
A tricolour was also seen flying outside the cockpit window as the squad and coaching staff departed. The squad were then driven to the Place de la Concorde where they were met by more than 50,000 supporters waiting for them.
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Deschamps was pictured looking glum on the team bus as he waited for the squad to embark. But the France boss insisted he was proud of his team as he refused to discuss his future as head coach.
“The whole squad has been facing a tricky situation for a while now. Maybe that had a physical or psychological impact. But I had no concerns about the players who started the match," he said.
“We only had four days since the last match so there was some tiredness, perhaps. That’s not an excuse, we just didn’t have the same energy as in the previous match and that’s why, for the first hour or so, we weren’t in the match.
"Before this match Argentina had been a little bit lucky but I don’t want to take anything away from them; they fully deserve the title. It is not because we suffered from any decisions that they came out victorious.
“I’m very sad for my players and staff. I will have a meeting with the president [of the French Football Federation] at the beginning of next year and then you will find out.”
Mbappe stepped off the plane alongside Ousmane Dembele before boarding the team coach. It is not yet known when he will return to Paris Saint-Germain next in Ligue 1 action two days after Boxing Day.
Deschamps meanwhile is expected to leave his role as head coach in the new year, with Zinedine Zidane likely to take over. He and Lloris were the first to step onto the balcony to wave to the gathered supporters, with the rest of the squad eventually joining them.
