Dhaka, July 12 -- French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet on Sunday expressed optimism that the World Cup and the French team's impressive performance will be inspiring and create a sense of motivation among young Bangladeshis who want to play football and raise the standard of their team.

"This is what happened in France with players like Michel Platini or Zinedine Zidane, who inspired entire generations. For example, Mbappe was 7 years old when France reached the World Cup final in 2006, and that undoubtedly inspired him to persevere," he told UNB in an exclusive interview ahead of the semi-final against Spain.

The French envoy said he believes that this is what France can bring, and he thinks Bangladesh will gradually ...