Why France have emerged as World Cup contenders again

The World Cup just a year away and France, fresh off their UEFA Nations Cup triumph, have shown they are frontrunners to win soccer’s top prize again. 

Everyone has their favorites as we approach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Brazil are perennial contenders, both for their tradition and quality of players, as are their South American rivals Argentina, recent Copa America winners. In Europe, there are a myriad of potential contenders. Among them is France, who have emerged as the favorite once again.

Thinking that France can win the World Cup for a third time isn’t much of a stretch. They are, after all, the defending champions following their triumph at Russia 2018 and feature in Kylian Mbappe one of the planet’s best strikers.

But Les Bleus didn’t look so good at the European Championship this past summer, forcing the debate that Italy, who went on to win the pandemic-delayed 2020 Euros, or even Spain, with a rebuilt roster loaded with youth, could instead contend for the World Cup. France’s stock was way down.

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Over the last few days, however, it is France who have shown that they are the frontrunners to repeat as World Cup champs once again. The tournament, to be played in November 2022, has only qualified two teams (the hosts Qatar and Germany), but speculation continues to mount over which teams will lift the trophy.

France’s UEFA Nations League triumph on Sunday put them back in top position. Not only did they win the trophy, but did so in style. In the semifinals against Belgium, France scored three unanswered goals to record an epic 3-2 come-from-behind victory.

In the final, France, down 1-0 to Spain, scored twice late in the game (including off a controversial Mbappe goal 10 minutes from time) for the 2-1 win and another comeback victory. The exceptional midfield work of Paul Pogba and the attacking prowess of Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema (back on the roster for the first time in five years starting this summer) are just a few examples of why this France squad is clicking once again.

“We went behind in both of the matches… We equalized quickly after going behind. Beyond the talent that we have in this team, there’s also their character and mentality and I’m very proud of the players,” Deschamps told reporters following the Nations League win. “We stopped playing after 20 minutes and you can’t do that against Spain. Our system, and the way we operate in it, still needs improvement. In the second half we were more aggressive and forced them into mistakes.”

France may not hold tons of possession compared to a team like Spain, but it’s what they do when they have the ball that counts most. Under manager Didier Deschamps, France has played a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 system that he tinkered with at the Euros and transformed into a 3-4-3 or even a 3-4-1-2 depending on the opponent. That lineup, with a front three of Mbappe-Griezmann-Benzema, proved lethal at the Nations League.

It’s France’s talent, in addition to a never-say-die attitude, that makes them frontrunners. It’s a quality that teams competing in short tournaments, such as the World Cup, need to harness in their favor to stay alive. To succeed at a World Cup, teams need to be proactive and, as in the case of France the last few days, also reactive.

France has proven over the past week that it can do just that. Even a 2-0 lead isn’t enough to kill off Les Bleus. France have shown that they are clear World Cup frontrunners.