It seemed intended for the French. This 2026 World Cup should be the consecration for a talented generation determined to make an impression for the last tournament with Didier Deschamps on the bench. This group of players even had a nickname: “ the Bad Guys “. A way of showing their confidence and their desire not to let anyone walk all over them. On the pitch, the Blues unleashed impressive offensive power, with Kylian Mbappé at the head of the line. But behind the confidence displayed, the selection of Didier Deschamps also gave the impression of an overrated team, comfortable when they mastered their subject, much less when the opponent was able to respond.
A journey that is ultimately a trompe-l’oeil?
On paper, the French team’s journey looked like a rise in power. A successful start against Senegal (3-1), an uneventful success against Iraq (3-0), then a big victory against a heavily reworked Norway (4-1): the Blues dominated their group I. The knockout phase then confirmed this impression. Jostled for 10 minutes by Sweden in the round of 16, Didier Deschamps’ flock ended up winning (3-0), before difficultly defeating Paraguay (1-0) in the 1/8th round. Morocco was then beaten seriously and without too much difficulty in 1/4 (2-0). Attractive at first glance, this course was mainly carried out against adversaries who had neither the weapons nor the control to really expose French flaws.
However, these weaknesses are numerous. The French team gave the image of an above-average team. But as soon as the intensity, pressing and technical quality went up a notch, the Blues lost the plot. Facing Spain in the semi-final, Michael Olise’s teammates were dominated in absolutely all areas of the field and were logically beaten (0-2). In midfield, if the soldier Adrien Rabiot responded in the impact and volume of play, Aurélien Tchouaméni was overwhelmed by the Spanish rhythm and movements. While this match was supposed to serve as a revelation, the French never found the solution to impose their game, nor even to resist that of their opponent for as long as possible.
Kylian Mbappé was not enough, second knives not up to the level
On the offensive level, a sector where the Blues have been showered with praise, Kylian Mbappé leaves with 10 goals, the title of top scorer of this World Cup (barring a hat-trick from Messi in the final this Sunday evening) and a great influence on most of the French matches in this 2026 World Cup. But the captain of the Blues also disappeared at the moment when his team most needed a player capable of shaking up a summit: against Spain, he was completely muzzled. And even if he sounded the revolt in the second half against the English after the initial disaster, it was not enough. Despite his double, Mbappé was unable to erase a catastrophic first period. A new demonstration that, if the Real Madrid player carried this team, his talent could not systematically mask the collective shortcomings of this team. Author of six goals and two assists, Ousmane Dembélé did not display the same level as with PSG, despite a different positioning on the right wing.
As for Michael Olise, best passer of this World Cup (7), but without the slightest goal, he alternated between good and less good until he delivered his worst performance against Spain in the blue jersey and was muzzled for a long time against England. The three of them, with Barcola or Doué, carried out this explosive attack, but not always capable of existing when the balance of power was reversed. Behind, the observation is also severe. Dayot Upamecano was the best Frenchman of the World Cup and William Saliba did what he could despite his back, but the defensive line never exuded great serenity. The fullbacks have been a constant problem. On the right, Jules Koundé displayed some defensive shortcomings and Malo Gusto suffered against Marcus Rashford against England. On the left, Théo Hernandez had already been mystified by Ibrahim Mbaye during the first match against Senegal and his poor form ended up benefiting Lucas Digne, first substitute then starter for the rest. Without the 32-year-old full-back completely reassuring defensively, to the point of being completely overtaken by Lamine Yamal against La Roja.
On the replacement side, Manu Koné scored points while Rayan Cherki generally disappointed in each of the entries. Ibrahima Konaté, for his part, recorded his downgrade with another subpar performance on Saturday evening. If ” not everything has to be thrown away » as Didier Deschamps indicated after the defeat against the English (4-6), it finally summed it up: outclassed in the first period, France revolted, without ever being able to come back. This match will remain as Didier Deschamps’ last after 14 years of good and loyal service. A page is turning, with the feeling that this 2026 generation was less strong than observers thought. It is now up to Zinédine Zidane to give it another dimension.
