Soccer
Are France the team to beat at the 2026 World Cup?
FIFA+: World Cup archive & programmes FREE on DAZN
We're just days away from the World Cup kicking off, and up and down the globe the debate is raging on who will triumph in North America.
Four years ago it was Argentina, but no nation has retained the World Cup since 1962, and with an open field of teams, there are several countries fancied to be victorious in New York next month.
England, Spain, and Brazil are all seen as possible winners, but the consensus seems to be that France are the team most would put as favourites to lift the famous trophy.
But is the hype real? Are Didier Deschamps' men really the team to beat in 2026?
World Cup Final 2018 highlights
Watch France’s victory over Croatia
What have France got that the rest haven't?
This tournament marks the end of an era for France, and as the final swansong for Deschamps, who will step down as manager after fourteen years as the national team boss.
In that time, he's led the country to two consecutive World Cup finals, where they tasted victory in 2018 before losing in a heartbreaking penalty shootout four years ago.
Now it has to make it three in a row, with many believing that his French side are the team to stop, and given the embarrassment of riches they have in attack, it's hard to argue.
In their forward line, they can call upon current Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, along with PSG teammates Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola. With support acts in Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marcus Thuram.
Then there's Michael Olise, Bundesliga Player of the Year and someone many are tipping to be the star of the tournament, and finally Kylian Mbappe.
Getty Images
Already a World Cup winner, already a Golden Boot winner, and a man very much vying to be this year's best player in the world.
Of course, they all can't fit in the same XI, but Deschamps has already shown he can accommodate who he feels he needs from the off, and rely on an array of supercharged weapons from the bench.
On paper, this is arguably the strongest squad in North America, and their billing as the team to beat is an opinion shared by a former World Cup winner.
"I think France are the team to beat," Frank Leboeuf exclusivly told DAZN News thanks to betFIRST sport.
"It's only fair, according to what they've done before. Only in the history of the World Cup is France the favourite.
"We know that since 1998, we played four finals. That's quite amazing. And we have more experience.
"Hopefully, France will do the job. Obviously, France has all the focus on their attack and on the amazing options that they have in that position."
Are there any weaknesses in the France squad?
The outside world may be convinced this is as strong a French team as it's ever been, but there are still some concerns.
Although it's a defence that contains title winners from both England and Germany, it's a backline that isn't consistent, and in the centre, Ibrahima Konate has had an on-off season, while Maxence Lacroix lacks international experience.
In the middle, Adrien Rabiot adds experience, but will it be a tournament one too many for N'Golo Kante?
FFF
Yet, the chink in the armour may come from how this team gels together. In the past, France teams have been their own worst enemies, and Leboeuf thinks it's key Deschamps gets that right.
Adding, "I still have some question marks about our defensive aspect. And also in the middle of the park, who's going to be playing? You have to be strong in order to hold the battle.
"To win a World Cup, you need a crazy chemistry between the players, the staff and understanding 100%. And if you don't, you're going to create problems.
"We have players, we have talent. But how it's going to work, we don't know because it's competition. Friendly games don't mean anything for me.
"It's good for maybe the confidence if you win and you keep on winning. But we don't know how it's going to work for the first game."
An early test
We'll get to see just what France are made of early on, having been drawn in one of the tougher groups in North America.
They open their campaign against Senegal, which digs up previous opening-day disappointment when they lost to the Africans in 2002, and they are now a much stronger unit.
Then after Iraq, it's Norway, a heavily fancied dark horse, who bested Italy to get to their first finals since 1998.
Given their attack and their recent record in international tournaments, you'd back the 2018 winners to go again and give their manager the perfect send off.
But it's a group where if things go wrong, the finals could quickly unravel for France once again.
Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN
DAZN is the home of FIFA+, a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches and both full match replays and highlights.
Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.
