The goals that took France to the 1998 World Cup Final were scored by a defender. Lilian Thuram struck twice against Croatia in the semi-final, and France went through to the final they would win.
That was an unusual night for Thuram, whose real job was stopping goals. He did it at right-back and at centre-back, and he did it with an intelligence that let him arrive at the ball before the striker had worked out where it was going.
A career in numbers
He won the 1998 World Cup and then Euro 2000 with France, two major tournaments back to back. He earned 142 caps for France, the most in the country's history at the time he retired. Across a 16-year career he played at the top level for Parma, Juventus and Barcelona, and he was picked in several World Cup all-star teams.
Fast, strong and clever, Thuram could fill whichever position the coach needed. The semi-final against Croatia showed he could also deliver when a defender is least expected to. A true champion of French football at number 29.
Number 28 follows tomorrow.
