France beats England 1-0 in Strasbourg to retain blind football European title

Championship victory in Strasbourg

France secured its fourth European blind football championship on Sunday, August 23, defeating England 1-0 in the final held in Strasbourg. The match took place in a dedicated open-air stadium constructed directly near the European Parliament. Supporters filled the stands and performed silent waves similar to those seen at the Eiffel Tower Stadium during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Team captain Frédéric Villeroux scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute of the first 20-minute period, placing a low strike into the side netting past English goalkeeper Dylan Malpas. The victory allowed France to retain the continental crown it previously won at the 2022 tournament in Pescara, Italy.

Tactical execution and offensive pressure

Throughout the final, France controlled the tempo under specific tactical guidance from head coach Toussaint Akpweh. Akpweh instructed the team not to shift into a defensive configuration after taking the lead, warning that falling back would give confidence back to the opposition. Following those instructions, French players Martin Baron and Babacar Niang repeatedly registered shots on target, forcing Malpas into multiple saves. France continued to press forward in the second 20-minute half, nearly adding a second goal with six minutes remaining in regulation when a shot from Villeroux bounced off Malpas's foot and hand.

Undefeated tournament run across five matches

France concluded the Strasbourg competition with a perfect record of five wins from five matches. In the group stage, the squad earned three consecutive victories, opening with a 4-1 defeat of England where Villeroux scored all four French goals. France followed with a 3-0 victory against Greece and a 1-0 win over Germany to sweep the group standings. In the semi-final, the French squad demonstrated patience against a defensive Italian side, securing a 1-0 victory courtesy of an early second-half goal scored by Villeroux two minutes after the interval. The triumph in Strasbourg adds a 2026 title to France's earlier European championship victories from 2009, 2011, and 2022.

Sensory preparation and team guidelines

Ahead of Sunday's final, 43-year-old captain Villeroux detailed the sensory requirements of blind football in an interview with Le Parisien. In blind football, outfield players rely on auditory and olfactory perception to track movements, locate opponents, and navigate the pitch against sighted goalkeepers. Villeroux explained that the French team enforces strict hygiene and scent guidelines to prevent giving away player positions to opponents during matches.

This is a sport where we know that slaloming works a lot. In our team, no player has the same dribbling style, which makes it more predictable. We also work on gathering information. For example, the scent of players who wear perfume. In the French team, we are asked to put on deodorant, but no perfume, because that gives information about our position.

The Strasbourg victory establishes France as both reigning Paralympic champions from Paris 2024 and consecutive European champions in the discipline.