The rest of France's group stage was professional but not spectacular. A 2-1 win against Netherlands with goals from Griezmann and Thuram. A 1-0 victory over the playoff winner (Georgia, who'd shocked everyone by making it this far) with Mbappé scoring the only goal.
France topped Group D with nine points. Perfect record. Seven goals scored. Two conceded. Dominant.
But the real tournament was about to begin.
Round of 16: France vs Belgium - Frankfurt
The Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt was hostile territory. Belgium's golden generation—now in their twilight years but still dangerous—had traveled with fifteen thousand fans who created a wall of red noise that echoed through the stadium.
De Bruyne, now thirty-three. Lukaku, thirty-one. Courtois, thirty-two. This might be their last major tournament. They played like men with nothing to lose.
The match was brutal. Physical. Tactical. Belgium's 3-5-2 formation clogged the midfield. France struggled to create clear chances.
0-0 at halftime. Frustration growing.
In the sixty-second minute, Ethan changed everything.
Receiving the ball on the right wing, he cut inside. Three Belgian defenders converged. He performed a quadruple step-over—left, right, left, right—that left all three lunging at shadows.
Then he struck from twenty-five meters. Top corner. Unstoppable.
1-0 France.
Belgium pushed everyone forward desperately. In the eighty-ninth minute, they got their reward. De Bruyne's free kick. Lukaku's header.
1-1.
Extra time loomed.
But in the ninety-third minute, in the final seconds of stoppage time, France struck again.
Kanté won the ball—of course it was Kanté. He played it to Mbappé. Who played it to Ethan. Who threaded a pass through Belgium's disorganized defense to Griezmann.
The veteran forward finished calmly.
2-1 France.
No time for Belgium to respond. Final whistle. France through to the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth.
Quarter-Final: France vs Portugal - Hamburg
Another iconic matchup. France vs Portugal. Mbappé vs Cristiano Ronaldo. Youth vs experience.
Ronaldo, now thirty-nine years old, was in his final tournament. Everyone knew it. The Portuguese icon played like a man possessed, trying to will his team to one last glory.
But France had too much quality.
Ethan scored in the thirty-fourth minute. A brilliant individual goal that had Portuguese defenders diving in vain.
Mbappé scored in the fifty-sixth. A counter-attack that showcased his terrifying pace.
Griezmann scored in the seventy-eighth. A penalty after Bruno Fernandes fouled Tchouaméni.
3-0 France.
After the match, Ethan exchanged shirts with Ronaldo—one of his childhood heroes. They hugged at midfield, the cameras capturing the moment.
"Good luck in the semi-final," Ronaldo said in Spanish. "You're one of the best I've ever played against."
"That means everything coming from you," Ethan replied. "Thank you for inspiring a generation."
Ronaldo smiled sadly. He knew this was probably his last major tournament. But he was gracious in defeat.
France marched on.
Semi-Final: France vs Spain - Munich
The Allianz Arena. Seventy-five thousand fans. France vs Spain. Two tactical masters. Two incredible squads.
Spain played their traditional tiki-taka style. Short passes. High possession. Patient build-up. They were brilliant—probably the best team France had faced all tournament.
For ninety minutes, neither team could break through. Spain dominated possession—sixty-four percent—but France defended with discipline and hit them on the counter.
0-0 after ninety minutes. Extra time.
In the ninety-eighth minute, Ethan delivered.
A Spain corner was cleared. France counter-attacked. Four French players vs three Spanish defenders.
Mbappé drove forward. Ethan on his right. Thuram on his left. Griezmann trailing.
Mbappé played it to Ethan. Who took one touch forward and struck from twenty-two meters.
The ball swerved wickedly. Spain's goalkeeper, Unai Simón, dove. Got a hand to it.
Not enough.
The ball hit the post and bounced in.
1-0 France.
The goal that sent France to the Euro 2024 final.
Spain threw everything forward in the final twenty minutes of extra time. Hit the post twice. Forced incredible saves from Maignan.
But they couldn't equalize.
Final whistle.
France were in the final.