Thierry Henry was full of praise for France's defence after Les Bleus battled to a 1-0 World Cup semi-final victory against Portugal.

The Arsenal striker won the penalty that Zinedine Zidane converted to book France's place in the final, but felt the real heroes of the night were at the back.

"We defended like lions," said Henry.

"The way we defended, everyone, you could see that the team had desire and commitment and everything, plus a lot of technique."

He was also delighted to have silenced the team's critics in the French media.

Henry added: "It was true at the beginning (of the tournament) we were not playing well but it was harsh when people said we couldn't score.

"The thing that is happening now is that we are not listening to it, to the stick. We are trying to play our game without listening to it. That's the most important thing in football."