France has a young and vibrant side full of flair and eye-catching players who can be devastating on counter-attacks. They were the favorites to win the 2016 Euro Cup but ultimately fell short after losing the final to Portugal at home. France will once again be among the favourites to win the Cup but lack of experienced players may ultimately cost them the trophy yet again.
Their squad is overflowing with young world class players like Paul Pogba, Barcelona wonder kid Ousmane Dembele and PSG star Kylian Mbappe. They have a solid midfield with N’Golo Kante and the experienced Blaise Matuidi expected to start. For defence, they have Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti and the three-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane, with Tottenham star Hugo Loris acting as the rock between the sticks.
France is in Group C along with Christian Eriksen’s Denmark, Peru and Australia. They play their opening match against Australia on June 16. France should easily top the group ahead of Denmark but they have a tough road ahead, with Croatia, Portugal and Brazil expected to be their next three opponents. They will be hoping to overcome Brazil in the semi-final but the Neymar-led Latin American giants may ultimately prove to be too much for them.
After the Euro Cup heartbreak at home, fans will be hoping that France will finally win their second World Cup. This generation of France is being touted as their golden generation and you can expect lots of goals and flair from them. They have a scary attack and a balanced midfield but they lack depth and experience in defence.
23-man final squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphone Areola (Paris St Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Olympique de Marseille)
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris St Germain), Benjamin Pavard (VfB Stuttgart), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Adil Rami (Olympique de Marseille), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris St Germain), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Nabil Fekir (Olympique Lyonnais), Florian Thauvin (Olympique de Marseille), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Key players:
Kylian Mbappe, PSG
The PSG striker is just 19 and already the key man for France. He is touted as the next big thing in world football following his £166 million transfer from Monaco last year.
He is expected to lead the attack along with Euro 2016 star Antoine Griezmann, and you can expect Mbappe to flourish alongside Griezmann as their styles complement each other perfectly.
N’Golo Kante, Chelsea
Kante has been a revelation ever since he moved to the Premier League. He has won the EPL twice and he was the PFA player of the season in 2017 as he bossed the midfield for the winners Chelsea.
Kante will play the holding midfielder role for France along with Matuidi. His tireless play will be the key for France as you can expect him to break attacks and initiate counters with Mbappe and Dembele lurking on the wings with their frightening pace.
Raphael Varane, Real Madrid
The Real Madrid defender has had a brilliant season yet again as the club won the third successive Champions League title. He partners Spain captain Sergio Ramos in the heart of Real Madrid defence.
France have a weak defence in comparison to their midfield and attack. Along with Umtiti, Varane is expected to provide the much needed stability to a shaky defence. France will be hoping to reap the benefits of Varane’s brilliant form off-late.
Surprise Package
Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona
The 21-year old Barcelona winger is destined for great things. He was signed by Barcelona last summer to replace Neymar for a whopping £135.5 million.
Dembele can tear apart any attack with his lightning speed and mesmerizing dribbling skills. He is expected to start ahead of Lyon captain Nabil Fekir and Olivier Giroud to join Mbappe and Griezmann to form a frightening front three.
Fixtures
Saturday, June 16: Vs Australia, 3:30 PM
Thursday, June 21: Vs Peru, 8:30 PM
Tuesday, June 26: Vs Denmark, 7:30 PM
Prediction
Expect them to top the group and overcome Croatia and Portugal, to go down fighting against Brazil in the semi-final.