​France claimed World Cup glory in 1998 and 2018, and now they have crafted another exceptional squad that is widely considered the favourite to triumph at the 2026 tournament. Their latest 2-0 win over Morocco on Thursday showcased why they remain the team to beat, as they became the first nation to reach the semi-finals. France have also lifted the European Championship trophy twice, and as Didier Deschamps prepares for what would be his final tournament in charge, many wonder whether he has assembled the best-ever Les Bleus side. If they lift the trophy on 19 July, they could justify that claim, a view echoed by former midfielder Patrick Vieira, who played in the 3-0 final win over Brazil in 1998. Speaking on ITV Sport, Vieira argued that this generation could be on the cusp of greatness, describing the squad as one of the best ever, given the depth and quality across the attacking positions.
BBC coverage noted that France’s victory in Boston came through two goals in a six-minute spell in the second half, with Kylian Mbappe opening the scoring and Ousmane Dembele capping the win, adding to the Ballon d’Or holder’s tally. Mbappe’s strike came after a first-half penalty was saved, bringing his total to eight goals in the tournament, which ties him with Lionel Messi as the tournament’s top scorer; however, Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race due to more assists. Dembele’s goal gave him five for the tournament, and France became only the second team in the last 50 years to have two players reach five or more goals in a single World Cup, following Brazil in 2002 (Ronaldo with eight, Rivaldo with five).
Former Scotland forward Pat Nevin described France as “the best, most skilful, most dangerous attacking team in the tournament,” praising their multiple threats with several players capable of influencing games. The current France squad is coached by Didier Deschamps, who has led the national side since 2012, and has already stated this will be his last tournament at the helm. Over his 14-year tenure, France have won the 2018 World Cup and were runners-up to Argentina in 2022. They also suffered a Euro 2016 final defeat to Portugal, and were edged out 2-1 by Spain in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. If Spain defeat Belgium in their quarter-final on Friday, they would face France in the semi-finals in Dallas on Tuesday.
At the outset of this tournament, France began ranked third in the world, behind Argentina and Spain. Spain’s campaign opened with a goalless draw against underdogs Cape Verde, a detail that has attracted attention as teams chase favorable seeding and momentum. With France’s continued form and a squad that blends experience with youth, the team remains a central figure in the championship conversation, as they chase more silverware on the road to 2026.