France's Strength in Combination of Young, Experienced Players - Team Captain

© Sputnik / Alexey Danichev / Go to the mediabankPlayers of the French national football team are training before the semifinal match against Belgium in St. Petersburg.
Players of the French national football team are training before the semifinal match against Belgium in St. Petersburg. - Sputnik International
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ST. PETERSBURG(Sputnik) - France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris said on Monday that the team had benefited from a combination of young talents and experienced players in their squad.

"Our tomorrow's opponent is stronger than the previous one. France has a great combination of experienced and young players. That's our strength," Lloris told journalists.

France, who claimed its only World Cup title on home turf in 1998, beat Uruguay 2-0 in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday to reach the semi-finals where they will face Belgium in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

Lloris, who is 31, earned his 100th cap for France in Russia, where he is playing at his third World Cup, while their 19-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe has scored three goals at the tournament so far.

READ MORE: King, Queen of Belgium, Macron to Attend World Cup Semi-Final Match

Speaking about the upcoming match, France head coach Didier Deschamps stated that the encounter would be difficult for Belgium assistant coach and former France striker Thierry Henry, as he would have to come up against his native country.

"We used to play together [with Henry], he was very young then. I appreciate what he has achieved at his clubs and in the French national football team. It [the match between Belgium and France] will be very difficult for Henry. He's in the enemy camp… He'll oppose his native country. He knew what he was signing up for. But I'll be happy to meet him tomorrow," Deschamps told journalists.

Henry, who played for clubs such as Monaco, Arsenal and Barcelona, won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro 2000 title as part of the French national team.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the final set to be played at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

READ MORE: No Plans to Shift Men's Final at Wimbledon to Avoid Clash With World Cup Finale

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