France take on Sweden in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on Tuesday, 30 June, at New York New Jersey Stadium
Among the favourites before the tournament began, Les Bleus have only gone from strength to strength in a perfect campaign so far
France happy to be favourites according to head coach Didier Deschamps and midfielder Adrien Rabiot
Under Didier Deschamps, have regularly been among the favourites at major tournaments. Living up to that expectation at the may not be as easy to bear as it has been at other tournaments during the Deschamps era, however both players and coach seem happy enough to assume the burden.
Being favourites can be a blessing or a burden. It can weigh on even the most experienced of teams, and affect their performance on and off the pitch. Yet, as the knockout stage approaches, the French camp appears remarkably calm, their confidence evident to the journalists gathered at New York New Jersey Stadium on the eve of their .
“Even before the tournament, we were among the favourites,” said Deschamps. “Based on how we’ve played in our three matches [three wins], I don’t think that opinion has changed. Our goal is to stay confident. Now, we’re going into a new phase. Even though we’ve never taken nine points from the group stage, it doesn’t give us any extra advantage.”
“We obviously hear and see what’s being said about us, but we’re trying to stay focused and block out the noise,” said midfielder Adrien Rabiot when asked how the squad reacted to the many prominent football figures who had described France as the team to beat at this World Cup.
“I think we’ve done that well so far because we could easily have relaxed. For example, when we played Iraq (3-0), people said there would be a huge gap between the two teams, and that wasn’t the case. We’ve worked hard, prepared thoroughly for every match and we’ve taken each of them seriously.”
Deschamps has a wealth of experience to draw on in his final tournament in charge of the French national team. Under his leadership Les Bleus won the World Cup in 2018 and made the final four years later. In between those World Cups, France failed to overcome Switzerland in the Round of 16 at EURO 2020, falling to them on penalties. Les Bleus' near misses sever as a humbling reminder to stay focused.
“Those experiences are valuable, and it’s important for those who were there to share them with the rest of the group,” said the 31-year-old Rabiot, who played the entire match against Switzerland.
“As that Switzerland game showed, you’ve got to stay alert. That’s why I’ve said we take every match extremely seriously and shouldn’t let up. I’m not saying that was necessarily the case against Switzerland, but there may have been moments of complacency during that match, and ultimately we paid the price.”
The knockout stage is familiar territory for Deschamps and his men. The upcoming meeting with Sweden will be France’s 19th knockout match across major international tournaments since the 57-year-old Frenchman took the helm. No other European nation has played as many knockout fixtures over the same period.
“There are no second chances now, but that doesn’t mean we should play with nerves or hold back,” concluded the French manager, who has seen it all before. “It’s part of the game, and the players compete to win and know that there are no second chances. With their clubs, there are qualification phases where you still have a safety net. Here, there isn’t one. It can require a different approach, but this is what we came for, and now we’re here. The next step is to go out and win.”
Sources: FIFA Official
