France are one of the clear favourites for this World Cup, and with good reason. Despite the drama of the 2022 final defeat on penalties to Argentina, Les Bleus have the world's most complete squad from 1 to 23. Deschamps â who won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and manager in 2018 â is targeting an unprecedented third title.
Mbappé at Real Madrid is playing the best football of his career. Griezmann's intelligence off the ball, Tchouaméni's midfield authority, and Maignan's excellence in goal make France formidable in every phase.
Key Player: Kylian Mbappé
Possibly the best player in the world. His speed â among the fastest ever measured in competitive football â combined with elite finishing, increasingly mature creativity, and sheer competitive instinct make him the most feared forward at this tournament. What France do with the ball almost always flows through or around MbappĂ©.
Tactical Setup
Deschamps uses a possession-based 4-3-3 that shifts to 4-2-3-1 when France want to control the game. The setup is deliberately pragmatic â France's talent is so vast that they can adapt to any opponent. TchouamĂ©ni and one box-to-box midfielder hold the structure while MbappĂ©, Griezmann, and a wide forward create havoc.
Tournament History
Sixteen appearances. Two World Cup titles. Two final appearances in the last two tournaments. France are the tournament's most consistently excellent team of the modern era.