The historic Blues, Novak Djokovic and Max Verstappen undisputed… The sports report of the weekend

The French team delivered a historic 14-0 to Gibraltar, while Novak Djokovic and Max Verstappen remain just as insatiable as the end of the season approaches.

Notable appearances and records. The sports weekend was full of emotions and highlights, from the football fields to the tennis courts. To demonstrate, Didier Deschamps’ Blues wrote their name in history with 14 goals scored, an unprecedented success. Novak Djokovic also consolidated his place in the small yellow ball pantheon by winning a record 7th ATP Masters, while Max Verstappen continued his trophy harvest under the glitz of Las Vegas.

Football: a night in history for the Blues against Gibraltar

The French team achieved the biggest victory in its history on Saturday, November 18, beating Gibraltar 14-0 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice. Facing a weak team, 198th in the FIFA rankings, the Blues did not do it easily and shone thanks to the performances of Marcus Thuram (4th), Warren Zaire-Emery (16th), Kylian Mbappé (30th, 74th, 82nd) ​​and Jonathan Clauss (34th), Kingsley Coman (36th, 65th), Youssouf Fofana (37th), Adrien Rabiot (63rd), Ousmane Dembélé (73rd) and Olivier Giroud (89th, 90+1st). Without forgetting the first goal of the match, scored against his team by Ethan Santos (3rd).

Kylian Mbappé thus reached the mark of 300 career goals before he turned 25, shows that he has reached this milestone before Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. A victory that allows the French team to finish in the top five in these qualifiers with 21 points and ensure their qualification for the European Championship 2024 draw on December 2. With seven wins in seven games, France was able to finish flawlessly. To do this he will need to win in Greece on Tuesday, in the Blues’ final match in these qualifiers.

Tennis: Master Djokovic offers victory and record at the ATP Masters

Don’t leave any crumbs behind. At the end of an eventful week in Turin, Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner in the final of the ATP Masters on Sunday. In two sets (6-3, 6-3), the Serbian took revenge on the Italian, who had inflicted his sixth defeat of the season earlier in the tournament. Powerful in service, imperial in defense, the world number 1 only slowed down at the end of the match, without Jannik Sinner being able to take advantage of this to gain the upper hand.

With this new victory, Novak Djokovic brings his number of ATP Masters titles to seven, a record that will allow him to overtake Roger Federer. Seven is also the number of new trophies added to the cup cabinet this season. For the eighth time in his career, the Serbian is guaranteed to end the year at the top of the world rankings.

F1: Max Verstappen at the top of the world again and again

Even though sacred, it remains undivided. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Grand Prix of Las Vegas (Nevada) on Sunday, November 19, achieving his 18th victory this season, his sixth in a row. Despite having won the world championship title at the beginning of October, the Dutchman continues to establish his hegemony. He won ahead of the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez, for this first on the Strip that was marked on Friday by the loosening of a manhole cover during the first free practice.

The great sensation of the race goes to the Monegasque driver of the Scuderia, who fought until the last meters to take second place at the expense of the Mexican. “I wanted this win so badly, but what a race!” he shouted again from aboard his Ferrari. As for the Tricolores, results for Alpine are mixed, with a good fourth place for Esteban Ocon, but a disappointing eleventh place for Pierre Gasly, long in the top five before weakening two laps from the finish.

Transat Jacques Vabre: Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière achieve the double

Four days after the arrival of the first Ultim (Armel Le Cléac’h and Sébastien Josse on the Maxi Banque Popculaire the IMOCAs in turn arrived on Sunday November 19, in Fort-de-France (Martinique). Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière retained their crown, aboard their latest generation Imoca (For People).

Left Le Havre on November 7, after more than a week’s delay due to storms Ciaran and Domingos, the tandem crossed the line at 2:02 a.m. local time (7:02 a.m. in Paris), after 11 days, 21 hours and 32 minutes of racing. Together they achieved a double on this transatlantic, following their victory in 2021. In addition to retaining his title in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Morgan Lagravière, Thomas Ruyant also ticks the box for an unprecedented triple in ocean racing with his solo victory on the Route du Rhum in 2022.