France’s reality-bending 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup ad goes viral

The France Women’s National Team is generating hype with a unique advertisement before it competes in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, thanks to some mind-warping special effects and assists from the France Men’s National Team and Project Orange.

The now-viral commercial starts off simply enough, with a sizzle reel purportedly showing some high-flying goal-scoring highlights that fans have come to expect from the France men’s team that won the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup and was the runner-up in 2022.

Recognizable stars such as Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembélé and Kingsley Coman all get moments in the spotlight, as does Kylian Mbappé, the face and now captain of the current men’s squad.

That is, they seem to until a mid-video twist reveals the truth — the highlights are from the France women’s team, with the men superimposed via visual effects. Griezmann sending a defender flying with a smooth dribble? That’s actually Sakina Karchaoui. Giroud rising up to put a powerful header past the goalkeeper? That’s actually Eugénie Le Sommer. Mbappé, Coman and Dembélé all scoring long-range goals? Yep, you guessed it — Estelle Cascarino, Selma Bacha and Viviane Asseyi, respectively. Even a heart-shaped celebration gesture originally attributed to Griezmann is revealed to be from Le Sommer.

“Only Les Bleus can provide us with such emotions,” a message at the halfway point of the video reads, referencing the nickname for the France men’s team. “Yet it’s not them you just saw.”

The message continues at the end of the video, after the actual highlights from the France women’s team are revealed and played, with the final word changing from Bleus to Bleues to reference the women’s team.

“At Orange, we support Les Bleues,” the words read.

France is hoping for a better result than when it played host in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Les Bleues lost in the quarterfinal to the eventual champion United States in the game best remembered for Megan Rapinoe’s now-iconic pose in front of a hostile French crowd after she scored on a free kick early in the game.

[Best moments of Megan Rapinoe’s USWNT career: Highlights and goals]

The coach tasked with leading the France women’s squad this time around will be a familiar face to viewers of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup — Herve Renard, who coached the Saudi Arabia team that beat Lionel Messi and Argentina in a massive upset to open the group stage. Argentina won every game after that en route to its third — and Messi’s first— men’s World Cup title, including via penalties a thrilling final against Les Bleus despite a hat trick from Mbappé.

Renard took over the France women’s team in February after former head coach Corinne Diacre was forced out amid hostility with several of the team’s key players.

France opens the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against Jamaica at 6 a.m. ET July 23. You can catch the game live on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

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