Launched in the fall, after the qualification of the Blues for the World Cup, the project of a tour in Qatar, during the international dates of March (21 to 29), is struggling to materialize. A decision should quickly fall but the probability of seeing the world champions perform in the Emirate has been very much reduced. The announcement could take place in the next few days, perhaps even this Thursday, January 27 during the COMEX of the FFF. Last November, Noël Le Graët, the president of the FFF, had nevertheless said he was in favor of this idea. But the negotiations would stumble on the financial side. Another obstacle would, obviously, also appeared with the difficulty of finding nations available at this time.
Italy and Portugal, two selections mentioned for a time, are, in fact, concerned by the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup (March 24 and 29). The global health situation, which had recently led to the cancellation of PSG’s winter camp in Qatar, would not be taken into account in this decision-making. If the negative trend is confirmed, the Blues – who have been part of a very positive dynamic since the start of the school year in September (success in the League of Nations) – will still play two friendly matches in March, both in France no doubt against African selections, in Province. Côte d’Ivoire, not affected by the World Cup play-offs in the Africa zone, could be one of the two adversaries.
In 2013, a year before the World Cup in Brazil, the French went to South America to face Uruguay (0-1) then Brazil (0-3). In 2018, a few months before the World Cup in Russia, a friendly match was organized in March in Saint Petersburg (3-1). This year, they will therefore, in all likelihood, have to wait until the end of autumn to discover the host country. Didier Deschamps and part of his staff will, however, go to the Emirate on April 1 to attend the draw for the World Cup. In December 2021, a delegation of several staff members went on a scouting trip to Doha.
Crowned Asian champion for the first time in its history at the beginning of 2019, Qatar had been thinking of organizing a mini-tournament since 2019. A first contact had been made through the intermediary of the managers of Aspire, the immense sports complex dedicated at the high level in Doha. This competition could have been held in the spring of 2020 before the Euro with Qatar-France opening, for the inauguration of one of the stadiums for the next World Cup. But the health crisis has been there and the Euro has been postponed for a year.