France have booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals after a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco in Boston on Thursday evening.
The two goals came in a stunning six-minute spell in the second half, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele both finding the net to settle the contest.
Mbappe’s goal was his eighth of the tournament, moving him level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts.
However, Mbappe currently leads the Golden Boot race over Messi because he has accumulated more assists than the Argentine forward.
Dembele now has five goals in this World Cup, making France only the second side in the past 50 years to have two players score five or more goals at the same tournament, after Brazil in 2002.
Ronaldo scored eight and Rivaldo five for that legendary Brazilian side, a comparison that underlines just how potent this current France generation truly is.
France have now scored 15 and 16 goals respectively across this tournament, more than any other team at this stage of the competition.
Former Arsenal captain and France midfielder Patrick Vieira, speaking on ITV Sport, was effusive about the current squad’s potential to be remembered as the greatest ever Les Bleus side.
“We’re talking about a generation of players and when you look at the squad and the attacking players, it is maybe one of the best, because you have so many players – it is so unbelievable,” said Vieira.
The former midfielder, who played in the 3-0 World Cup final win over Brazil in 1998, believes Didier Deschamps can steer France to a third successive final appearance.
“I don’t see anybody stopping the French team going to the final,” Vieira added, expressing confidence that France are a stronger side now than they were four years ago.
Former Scotland striker Pat Nevin echoed that assessment on BBC Radio 5 Live, describing France as “the best, most skilful, most dangerous attacking team in the tournament.”
“They have more than one [threat]. They have two, three, four that are capable,” Nevin added, reflecting on the extraordinary depth of options available to Deschamps.
Alongside Mbappe and Dembele, France can also call upon Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, Paris St-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Defensively, France have conceded just two goals across six games, a record that has drawn admiration from pundits and opponents alike throughout the competition.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane warned rival nations that they would need to score first against this France side to stand any realistic chance of winning.
“Any chance of beating France you have got to score the first goal. Even if they get the first goal, teams have to come at them, and they will pick you off for fun,” Keane said.
Deschamps has managed France since 2012 and has confirmed this will be his final tournament in charge, making a potential third World Cup triumph a fitting farewell.
Former England striker Ian Wright, speaking before the Morocco game, called Deschamps’ side “one of the most clear favourites for a World Cup tournament I have ever seen,” and remained impressed after the result.
“It is difficult to see the weakness,” said Wright, though he acknowledged that Spain, should they progress, possess the quality of Lamine Yamal to potentially cause problems.
France are two wins away from becoming world champions for a third time, with Nevin cautioning that the only team truly capable of stopping them may be themselves.
