Saliba forgets the Champions League final and sets sights on the World Cup with France

William Saliba has admitted that he has already put Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat behind him. The switch was quick: the French defender’s mind is now fully focused on the World Cup and on helping the Bleus advance from the group stage.

The pain of Budapest is in the past

Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, 4-3, in the grand final played in Budapest. It was a heavy blow – the London club came close to winning their first European title in history, but left empty-handed. For many Gunners fans, the wound is still open.

Not for Saliba. “I’ve already forgotten it. I hope we come back stronger next year,” said the 25-year-old defender. He admits that the first three or four days after the final were difficult, but the immediate call-up to the national team worked as a kind of antidote. There was no time for prolonged regret – the World Cup came right afterwards and demanded total focus.

Banter at the table with the European champions

The atmosphere in the French national team dressing room has its own challenges for Saliba. Five PSG players – exactly the ones who lifted the trophy against Arsenal – are in the Bleus squad, and the jokes did not take long to appear. “With the five Parisians, we sometimes talk about it, we tease each other a bit at the table, but it’s all in good spirit,” said the former Olympique de Marseille player.

The joking is a sign of a cohesive group. Saliba handles the good humour without losing the thread: the goal now is different, he wears another shirt, and the responsibility before the France crest is worth as much as any European trophy.

France push for a knockout spot

At the World Cup, the team led by Didier Deschamps occupy second place in Group I, with three points, one behind Norway. The next fixture is against Iraq, on 22 June, and the team go in as clear favourites. If France win and Norway also do their part, qualification for the last 16 will be mathematically secured.

In this context, Saliba arrives in good mental shape – which, in top-level football, is worth as much as physical condition. Coming out of a defeat in a Champions League final, absorbing the rivals’ teasing and keeping focus on the next objective is no trivial thing. The defender, who has established himself as one of the best in the world in his position over the last seasons, shows a maturity that goes well beyond his 25 years.