Can Hugo claim a second World Cup?
Could Hugo Lloris become one of international football’s greatest goalkeepers?
Hugo Lloris has received criticism at times for his Tottenham Hotspur performances under various managers, but his international form cannot be questioned as he is near-impeccable when representing his nation.
The chance to win consecutive World Cups
In 2018, Lloris was the French starting goalkeeper as they went all of the way to become FIFA World Cup champions for the first time in 20 years. Some could argue it was a fluke and that a stacked French team was bound to win, but four years on with a very different lineup, Lloris has been solid in between the sticks to lead his team to the final again. They will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in what is perhaps their biggest challenge yet. In Argentina vs France betting, the sides can’t be separated, with both at 9/5 to lift the trophy in Lusail. If Lloris can shut out the great Messi then he will undoubtedly write himself into history as one of the most legendary goalkeepers at the international level. Not only would he have taken away Messi’s final chance of winning the World Cup, but he would be a two-time World Cup champion, and one of the few constants in both victories.
Most impressive performances
Lloris has been a vital part of the French setup in Qatar and has kept his team in tight games on a number of occasions. In the quarter-final against England, he made numerous crucial saves while France were under pressure. Most importantly of all, his club teammate Harry Kane missed a penalty against him which happened to send France through.
Lloris was again crucial in Les Bleus’ semi-final tie against high-flying Morocco as he again produced a number of stunning saves to maintain a narrow lead. Morocco piled on the pressure for a significant period of the game before France got their second and Lloris made several diving saves for his team. His performances this year will be fresh in the memory and most football fans will be well aware of his quality in a France shirt at the Qatar tournament. But his incredible form in 2018 also went a long way in securing his legendary status with the national team.
Road to the final of 2018
Lloris was somewhat of an unsung hero in France’s World Cup win in Russia, and goalkeepers don’t often get the plaudits they deserve, but the Spurs keeper was particularly impressive in the 2018 tournament. In the opening game, his impressive reflexes meant they did not suffer an early scare against Australia, but his greatest contribution was in remarkably recording a clean sheet against Belgium in the semi-final.
Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne created chance after chance to be fired at the French goal but Lloris dealt with them all and sent his nation to the final against Croatia. In a game where the only goal came from Samuel Umtiti, France were extremely reliant on their keeper and he did not let them down. In truth, without his heroics, Belgium could have won comfortably.
If France are to defeat Argentina, Lloris would certainly earn his rightful place as the greatest French goalkeeper ever, and he would also be firmly in the equation to be discussed amongst the shot-stopping greats at the international level.
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
Would you like to write for The Fighting Cock?