FIFA.com: When you were young, what did the FIFA World Cup mean to you?
Lilian Thuram: Football was our favourite game and we used to play out the finals afterwards. When I was about nine or ten, after we'd left Guadeloupe and moved to Fontainebleau, I used to play with my friend Benito. He was Spain, his home country, and I was Brazil, of course, because the Brazilians were always the best. Every time one of us lost we'd start another game.

Turning to France 98, a lot of people have said that your opening game against South Africa symbolised the birth of a group. What is your view on that?
The team existed before that, but the opening game of a competition is always special. It was special for me too because playing against South Africa obviously brought to mind Mandela and apartheid. Whenever I play against an African side I always feel I could have been playing on the other side because of my background. Fortunately we won that game, and that set us on the right track, which was important.

You played a decisive part in France's second game against Saudi Arabia, the first competitive match at the Stade de France. What do you remember of that day?
We'd already played there before but nothing could compare to running out in the World Cup in front of thousands of fans. It's true we played well, but while I don't want to be disrespectful to Saudi Arabia, it has to be said they weren't very strong. Luckily we won fairly comfortably and the party continued.

You met Italy in the quarter-finals. As a Parma player at the time, what did that game mean to you?
Matches between France and Italy are always unique occasions, and there was also the fact that a lot of the France team were playing in Italy at the time. There was no way we could go back to our clubs having been knocked out of "our" World Cup by Italy. There was a huge amount of tension, and it was a tough game on an emotional level. And once again, we managed to get through, on penalties this time.

Why didn't you take one of the kicks?
Because I felt that if France were going to go far in the tournament, it would be better if I didn't take one.

The following game turned out to be the match of your life.
It could also have been the 'match of my death' given Suker's goal and the fact I was the one covering him. It really would have been a catastrophe to be eliminated, and because someone always ends up taking the blame, my head was on the block. Fate took a hand, though, and I was lucky enough to score two goals.

When you scored the second you knelt down and put your finger to your lips, a gesture that not everyone understood. Can you explain what you meant by it?
Even I don't know what it meant. It was just an instinctive thing. Everyone remembers it because it reflected my complete disbelief at what I'd done. Some people thought I was trying to make a point of some kind. Whenever I think about it today I just burst out laughing because I haven't scored any goals since then, not even in training.

On 12 July, in front of a packed Stade de France and the watching world, you got to lift the FIFA World Cup. What are your recollections of that?
That game was like a dream for me. Imagine, you're playing in a France-Brazil Final at home Strangely enough, before the match I never doubted for a minute that we'd win. I remember we were winning 2-0 at half-time and I bumped into Marcel Desailly in the changing-room. We said to each other: 'Another 45 minutes and we'll be world champions.' When the game was over it was just crazy. It still hadn't sunk in that we'd won the World Cup, the same one as Maradona and Kempes. We couldn't grasp what had happened. And that's still the same feeling I have today. Holding that Trophy in my hands was truly incredible.

France failed to perform as expected in 2002. Why do you think that was?
After winning the World Cup and the European Championship we arrived in Japan with our heads in the clouds a little. We weren't really focused on what we were doing and we thought everything would just fall into place. We'd forgotten that you need to work hard to have luck on your side. I remember that after we'd lost to Denmark, I felt as if we hadn't really been at the World Cup. It just felt like we weren't there, as simple as that.

Just before we finish off, here is a little reminder (hands over the Trophy).
Thanks, can I keep it? It is just magnificent.