Les Bleus have won the World Cup twice before, in 1998 and 2018, and lifted the European Championship on two occasions as well. Manager Didier Deschamps, who has been in charge since 2012 and has confirmed this will be his final tournament, guided the 2018 side to glory in Russia and came agonisingly close to repeating the feat in Qatar four years later, losing to Argentina in the final. Now two wins from a third world title, Deschamps' current squad is being spoken of in exceptional terms. Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira, who was part of the 1998 side that beat Brazil 3-0 in the final, said this generation of players was on the verge of greatness, pointing to the depth of attacking talent as something close to unbelievable.
Mbappé and Dembélé Drive France's Historic Run
Mbappé's second-half goal against Morocco was his eighth of the tournament, drawing him level with Argentina's Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts. Mbappé currently leads the Golden Boot race on the basis of having more assists than the Argentine. His goal was notable for what came before it, too; he had a first-half penalty saved, a reminder that even the world's most dangerous attackers are not infallible. That he responded with the opening goal anyway says something about his resilience and quality.
Dembele's contribution has been equally significant. His goal against Morocco was his fifth of the tournament, taking him to double figures in combined goals and assists at this World Cup. France is only the second team in the past 50 years to have two players each score five or more goals in a single World Cup, after Brazil in 2002, when Ronaldo finished on eight and Rivaldo on five. France's total of 16 goals in the tournament is the highest of any team still in the competition. And beyond Mbappé and Dembele, the attacking options available to Deschamps are remarkable in their depth. Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, and Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta all bring quality and variety from the bench. At the other end, France has conceded just twice in six matches, both times late in games that were already decided.
Can anyone stop France from reaching the Final?
The short answer, based on current evidence, is that it would take something close to a perfect performance to do it. France could face Spain in the semi-finals in Dallas on Tuesday if the European champions see off Belgium on Friday. Spain arrived at the tournament as the number two ranked side in the world and has reached the quarter-finals without conceding a single goal, a remarkable defensive achievement in its own right. Yet the consensus among those assessing the two teams is that France currently has the edge. Vieira was direct in his assessment, saying he did not see anyone stopping France from reaching the final, and noting that he believed France was a better team today than they were four years ago, while Spain was not.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane echoed that assessment in broad terms, pointing out that France had more gears to shift into if required, and that any team hoping to beat them would need to score first, and even then, France's firepower meant they were likely to pick sides off ruthlessly on the counter. The only note of caution came from the observation that France had occasionally let their focus slip in one-sided situations. In a semi-final against quality opposition, that luxury would not be available. Two more wins stand between Deschamps and a third World Cup title. On the basis of this tournament, it would be a surprise if France did not reach the final.
