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Nine points, first place in a star-studded Group I and a place in the round of 32 – that’s the dominant start France has made at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
But the round of 32 brings with it higher stakes and a new level of competition: winner moves on, loser goes home. For Zlatan Ibrahimović of FOX Sports, this French team is in a league of its own.
“It’s about levels. When they turn on, I don’t see many teams beating them. The only chance they invite their opponents to the game is when they relax and switch off,” Ibrahimović said after France’s 4-1 victory over Norway. “This is something else. Now everyone is eating. They are a team you have to watch out for, they are the favorites to win the World Cup. They are on another level.”
The 2022 World Cup runners-up won all three group stage matches against Norway, Senegal and Iraq and are +350 to win the tournament. In addition to their nine points, France scored 10 goals in total and conceded only two.
The France squad has shown that it is the team to beat in the World Cup.
Star striker Kylian Mbappé arrives at his second World Cup and is already on his way to winning another Golden Boot. In three games, Mbappé has scored four goals: two against Iran and two against Senegal. In addition, forward Ousmane Dembélé added a hat trick to his World Cup resume against Norway.
For Thierry Henry of FOX Sports, the French squad speaks for itself, but does not leave any respite in the face of simple elimination.
“We all know the team we have and the bench we have. Now a new World Cup begins for everyone. When you reach the round of 32, any mistake will be costly,” Henry said after the victory. “It’s not like you have another game and another game, and you see how it works (away). If you lose, you go home. So let’s see what’s going to happen. It was nice to see some guys score goals, Dembélé scored more… It’s another World Cup. It’s a different type of competition right now for me personally.”
France continues its World Cup campaign on June 30 against Sweden at New York/New Jersey Stadium.
