France’s imperious form at the 2026 World Cup has led former England international Gary Neville to declare them overwhelming favourites, with only one nation possessing the unique qualities to potentially halt their charge: Argentina.
Didier Deschamps’ side continued their dominant run with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the last 32 match held in New Jersey. Star forward Kylian Mbappe netted twice, taking his tournament tally to six goals, while Bradley Barcola added another to seal a comfortable win. This latest triumph follows earlier group stage victories against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, underscoring France’s formidable presence as they aim to go one better than their 2022 World Cup final appearance.
France’s attacking might
The attacking prowess of the French squad has been a particular highlight, with their front four proving a nightmare for opposing defences. Neville specifically highlighted the quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise as a significant threat.
“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,” Neville commented, speaking on ITV, cited by GiveMeSport.
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Despite France’s overwhelming strength, Neville believes Argentina holds a particular edge that could challenge the European giants. He attributed this to their unique blend of experience and resilience.
“The only team I can see stopping France right now, because of the mentality, is Argentina. Because of the nastiness and the horribleness and their experience,” Neville stated on ITV, singling out the South American side.
Former Arsenal legend Ian Wright echoed the sentiment regarding France’s formidable status, suggesting other nations would fear facing Deschamps’ team. “France in this form. They’ll be more worried about playing against France than they’d be worried about playing Spain or Portugal. It’s only if France have a total capitulation, which I can’t see, for them to [not] go on to win it. I can’t see what’s stopping them at the minute,” Wright commented.
France’s next challenge will be against Paraguay, who stunned Germany in the previous round by winning on penalties. The winner of the France vs Paraguay clash will then face either Canada or Morocco in the quarter-finals, as reported by GiveMeSport.
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