Opinion Mark Reason

The quarterfinal still had almost 10 minutes to play, but Jose Gimenez was gushing water like the Iguazu Falls. If France had lingered much longer over their free-kick, the desolate Uruguayan fullback would have flooded the pitch. That is the effect N’Golo Kante has on people. France’s diminutive holding midfielder reduces grown men to tears.

Kante was just completing one of the great games in World Cup history. Kante had intercepted Uruguay 32 times in the match, and on only three of those occasions had France failed to retain possession. That is scarcely feasible. Kante had won back possession for France 29 times against some of the finest players on the planet.

Doubtless Fifa will give the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player to some slick attacker or strolling midfielder. It usually does. At the last three World Cups Lionel Messi, Diego Forlan and Zinedine Zidane have won the award. And at this year’s tournament, the betting for man of the tournament is being headed by Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric, Romelu Lukaku, Antoine Griezmann and Kevin De Bruyne.

You get the picture. If you score beautiful goals, you are in with a chance. If you have the pace of a 60 metre sprinter or the footwork of Nureyev you are in with a chance. But in the modern history of the Golden Ball only two defenders, Fabio Cannavaro and Lilian Thuram, have even made the top three. And of holding midfielders, the sweaty men of the game, there is not a glimpse.

Maybe Eric Cantona finished them

Kante is the spirit of this France team and France are the best team in the World Cup, regardless of the result against Belgium. But if Belgium bypass Kante and try to attack France at the edges, as Argentina did with fair success, then Belgium have the talent to beat France. The beauty of football is that the inferior team nearly always has a chance.

But even Argentina could not keep Kante absolutely quiet by avoiding him.