It’s July 13, 1998, and the front page of the Daily Mirror is adorned with the headline “Arsenal win the World Cup”.<\/p>\n
Rewinding slightly to May 1998 and after clinching our first Premier League and FA Cup double, midfield duo Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit are heading to a home World Cup with France full of confidence and looking to create history.<\/p>\n
No French side had ever gone all the way before, but with two rocks in the centre of the park, the mood was high in the European nation.<\/p>\n
Back in 2006, Patrick and Emmanuel spoke with Jon Spurling to reminisce about their marvellous 1998, and the impact it had.<\/p>\n
The duo started a combined 63 Premier League matches in the 1997\/98 season as Arsene Wenger’s side pipped Manchester United thanks to a sensational second half of the season.<\/p>\n
The French midfielders also started the FA Cup final too, walking out at the old Wembley as we downed Newcastle United 2-0 to clinch our famous double.<\/p>\n
But the pair had under a month to start preparing for a home World Cup, and with a first group game against South Africa kicking off on June 12, it was a tight turnaround.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter winning the double with Arsenal, it took me a while to switch off from the league season and focus my thoughts on the World Cup,” Patrick told Spurling in 2006.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany French people live in multicultural communities. So many of us in \u201898 came from different backgrounds. As Arsenal supporters never tired of telling me, my roots were in Senegal.”<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the season we had with Arsenal, you\u2019re just flying. You want the games to keep coming. It was a remarkable summer,” Emmanuel added.<\/p>\n
And the midfielder wasn’t wrong; the games kept on coming as he started in the wins over South Africa and Denmark in the group stages, netting in the latter as part of a 2-1 victory. Patrick also had his part to play, lining-up alongside Emmanuel versus the Danes to help France top the group.<\/p>\n
Knockout wins over Paraguay, Italy and Croatia followed for Les Bleus, with Petit starting all three, to set up a showdown with defending World Cup champs Brazil at the Stade de France, in Paris.<\/p>\n
Two goals from Zinedine Zidane set France on their way, before a moment of history as Vieira set up Petit in stoppage time for the final act of a memorable World Cup.<\/p>\n
“Winning it reaffirmed the best of multicultural France and elevated us to heroes. It was a childhood dream,” Patrick recalled. “Setting up Manu for the final goal was a dream come true after the season we had at Arsenal. I\u2019m so glad it didn\u2019t go the other side of the post!”<\/p>\n
“Winning it like that, at home, elevated French football to a new level,” Manu added.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick and I were in sync on the pitch. It was a beautiful moment [when he put me in]. It was for France and maybe a little bit for Arsenal too.”<\/p>\n
The World Cup, off the back of a historic double, is an achievement that hasn’t been replicated by our players since.<\/p>\n
People flooded onto the streets of Paris and beyond as the outpouring of joy unfolded across the nation.<\/p>\n
Vieira said: \u201cSeeing the Eiffel Tower and the Champs \u00c9lys\u00e9es lit up in French colours was beyond our wildest dreams. It was then that it struck me what I\u2019d achieved in just a few months with Arsenal and France.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petit added: \u201cFrance wasn\u2019t regarded as a naturally big football country until then. Not like a Brazil or an Argentina or an Italy. It\u2019s hard to compare the emotion and adrenaline rush with scoring in that kind of game.”<\/p>\n
And the national newspaper headline back in England? Petit certainly took notice.<\/p>\n
“That headline in the Mirror was it? ‘Arsenal win the World Cup.\u2019 We were so proud, Patrick and me.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n