He's from France, her family is Croatian — Montreal couple ready for World Cup final
CBC News | Posted: July 15, 2018 2:00 PM | Last Updated: July 15, 2018
'May the best team win,' says married couple, as France and Croatia go head-to-head today
For Gaël Lescalier and Alexandra Rusnov, finding neutral ground is key.
He's originally from France. Her family is Croatian.
And that means that today could get heated for the Montreal couple — at least in theory — as the French and Croatian soccer teams compete in the FIFA World Cup final.
"There's no real rivalry," Rusnov told CBC Montreal's All in a Weekend ahead of the match, laughing.
"May the best team win."
Ties to both countries
Either France or Croatia will be crowned FIFA World Cup 2018 champions, as the final kicked off at 11 a.m.
Lescalier, who's from France but has lived in Montreal for about 20 years, says he had a feeling the two teams would meet.
Based on the groups they drew in the earlier stage of the tournament, the only way they would face each other was in the final, he said.
Rusnov, who concedes that her husband is the bigger soccer fan, wasn't so sure.
"I was really surprised actually that we got that far, because [Croatia is] a really small country. It's not one of the big, big teams in the world, so I find it extraordinary that they got that far already," she said.
The couple got married in Croatia in 2011, and they've spent several summer vacations there.
But while Lescalier says he loves his wife's homeland, his allegiances are clear.
"I love Croatia, that's for sure," he said. "But in the first place, as a Frenchman, I support France more."
Finding a place to watch the match
Lescalier wanted to watch the match at L'Barouf, a Plateau–Mont Royal bar that's turned into a meeting place for fans of Les Bleus, but Rusnov says she shot down that idea.
"I said, 'no way. I'm not going there,'" she recalled, with a laugh.
Instead, the pair will watch the match in the Mile End — where fans of both teams will be, Rusnov said.
So who's going to win?
The idea that France might not take home the trophy hasn't even crossed his mind, Lescalier said.
"France will win — it's that simple."
"But if he was to lose to someone," Rusnov said, "well, might as well lose to Croatia."
Listen to the full All in a Weekend interview here.