​Former Republic of Ireland international and Olympique de Marseille striker Tony Cascarino sat down with Get French Football News to discuss the France national team ahead of their quarter-final with Morocco, as part one of a two-part interview. He notes that France are widely regarded as favourites to win the World Cup and is asked whether he sees any weaknesses in the squad. Cascarino admits he isn’t always convinced by France’s midfield. He mentions Adrien Rabiot as a good player but questions whether the team’s midfield can be a vulnerability at times. He is confident that France will score, and he doesn’t see any defence at the World Cup that could completely stop them. The key question, he suggests, is whether opponents can keep them to a low tally while also posing problems of their own.
Cascarino believes Morocco will present France with their toughest test because of Morocco’s aggressive style. He’s not convinced Spain can match them, implying that the knockout could come down to a single match, where the outcome hinges on the brilliance of a goalkeeper or missed opportunities by the opposition. He counters the notion that France is defensively frail, arguing that their defense remains solid with standout centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba.
Referring to France’s attacking quartet, he says they possess “the most frightening four” he has ever seen. He points out the depth behind the regular attackers, naming Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappé, and Ousmane Dembélé as options, with Marcus Thuram as the sixth attacking choice who scored 19 goals for Inter last season—“and he’s not bad.” Thuram’s different style adds even more variety to France’s firepower. Cascarino highlights Mbappé’s extraordinary speed and ability to switch the game on, noting a moment when Mbappé chased and challenged a defender, which Cascarino believes signals a broader problem for opposing teams. He also observes that Mbappé has openly acknowledged that closing down opponents will be necessary for France to win, and if he is willing to do that, it raises the entire team’s dynamic.
Cascarino’s remarks were made while speaking on behalf of Tonybet. Tonybet’s World Cup Card Collection campaign offers Irish customers a chance to win up to €100,000. This exclusive interview is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found here.