France are not just winning matches at this World Cup — they are doing so with a unity and collective spirit that is making rivals genuinely fearful.
A 3-0 demolition of Sweden at New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday confirmed Les Bleus as the tournament’s most formidable force, booking a last-16 tie with Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday, 4 July.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a superbly crafted finish before sprinting directly to the touchline to embrace head coach Didier Deschamps, who was back in the dugout after returning from his mother’s funeral in France.
The rest of the squad immediately joined them, forming a group hug that captured the remarkable spirit running through this French generation.
“This group is united and they delivered when I was not here last week,” said Deschamps after the final whistle, reflecting on what the week had meant to him personally.
“The team spirit of this group doesn’t make you win matches. But I know if it’s the other way round, you can lose games. The collective strength is above everything.”
Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni added: “We know the coach is going through a lot, we are trying to give everything to make him as happy as possible.”
Bradley Barcola made it 2-0 before Mbappe struck again to move level on six tournament goals with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
The Real Madrid forward now has 18 World Cup goals in total, just one behind Messi’s all-time record, and has scored two or more goals in seven different World Cup matches — three more than any other player in history.
Michael Olise was once again outstanding, contributing two further assists to take his tally to five for the tournament, while France became the first team to score three or more goals in five consecutive World Cup matches.
Olise, who began his footballing journey at Hayes and Yeading United at the age of six, is the first player to register five or more assists at a single World Cup since 1994, and Deschamps was full of praise for the former Crystal Palace winger.
“Michael is playing top-notch football,” said the France coach. “He is a major influence within the squad and is the link between the strikers and the defence. He is a bit of an introvert, but he is not an introvert on the pitch.”
Dembele and Mbappe have combined directly for six goals at this tournament — more than any other duo on record since 1966 — with France also recording their highest number of attempts in a single World Cup match since 1998, firing in 25 shots against Sweden.
Former England striker Ian Wright told ITV Sport: “You cannot stop this kind of ability. France are one of the most clear favourites I have ever seen in a World Cup tournament.”
Former Arsenal team-mate Patrick Vieira, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, added: “They showed to everyone that they are the team to beat.”
Gary Neville was equally emphatic, telling ITV Sport: “That four that started the game — they will cause nightmares for every single defender in the tournament and I don’t know how they stop that to be fair. They are a level above.”
Ally McCoist offered a blunt assessment, saying: “They just have a team in the forward areas that is riddled with superstars. There is no other explanation for it. They are favourites for a reason, and we saw that today.”
Even Sweden manager Graham Potter conceded the obvious, admitting: “It’s no disgrace to go out to this France team. I haven’t seen a better team.”
Deschamps, however, refused to be swept up in the growing wave of excitement, insisting: “Please, slow down. We have reached the round of 16. Let’s appreciate that. We know what is expected of us. We have to stay calm.”
