Can Anyone Derail France's March Towards World Cup Glory?

Dubai: Heading into the 2026 World Cup, France were widely regarded as the team to beat, but after dismantling Sweden in a commanding 3-0 victory in the Round of 32, the conversation has shifted from whether they will win the tournament to who, if anyone, can stop them from doing so.

France could hardly have wished for a better group-stage campaign, winning all three matches to comfortably top Group I while scoring three or more goals in each match.

The nation headed into their Round of 32 clash with Sweden as overwhelming favourites, but any talk of pressure quickly disappeared as they produced a dominant display to cruise into the last 16.

France’s attacking talent has been nothing short of eye-watering throughout the competition, led by captain Kylian Mbappé, who is increasingly looking like he could go down as one of the greatest World Cup players of all time if he maintains this level.

With six goals already to his name at the tournament, he is now just one strike away from matching Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record of 19, a milestone that feels firmly within reach given his current form.

Legendary manager Didier Deschamps is not short of support around him either, with Michael Olise producing dazzling performances in his first World Cup and sitting just one assist shy of equalling Pelé’s long-standing record for most assists in a single tournament.

Current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé has also hit top gear at the perfect time, underlined by a hat-trick in the final group game against Norway, while the depth of France’s attacking options is equally frightening, with the likes of Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki all waiting on the bench to make an impact if needed.

With Argentina on the opposite side of the bracket and a seemingly more favourable route to the final, there is a growing sense that fans could be edging towards a repeat of the iconic 2022 World Cup final, still widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in football history.

On current form, Argentina, inspired once again by Lionel Messi, look like the only side consistently matching France’s output across the tournament. As a result, many believe that if France are to be stopped this time around, it may well come from the reigning champions themselves again in the final, in what would be a fittingly high-stakes rematch on the grandest stage.

However, before any potential final showdown, France may first have to overcome the reigning European champions Spain, a side who defeated them in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and have not lost to Les Bleus since, this record alone makes them a potential banana skin in France’s path.

Beyond Spain, both Portugal and Brazil also possess the quality to cause problems on their day, but even so, France would still enter those matchups as clear favourites, with both nations showing signs of inconsistency and defensive vulnerability despite their attacking talent.