2018 World Cup

France Is Now the 2018 World Cup Favorite

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With only four teams left in the 2018 World Cup, France is now the clear favorite to win the tournament. From the goalkeeper to the center forward, France has the most talented squad in the tournament, and several scuffles against Uruguay in the quarterfinals likely strengthened team unity and resolve.

Kylian Mbappe is easily France’s best play. The 19-year-old forward can beat anyone off the dribble with speed or skill, and he can score with either foot. Against Argentina in the first round of the knockout rounds, Mbappe not only scored two goals, but he also made unstoppable runs behind the defense for his teammates to simply chip the ball to him on the run. On two occasions, his teammates hit him 50 yard passes in the air that he softly brought down only to get hacked by Argentina. This ability to blow past defenders and instantly control passes out of the air made him impossible to defend without fouling. The French forward is also excellent 1v1 in tight spaces from a standstill, and this combined with his passing makes him the best player left in the tournament and arguably the best player for the entire tournament.

France also boasts a world-class midfield anchored by N’Golo Kante as the defensive midfielder who is widely regarded as the best in the world at that position, and the midfield also includes Paul Pogba and either Corentin Tolisso or Blaise Matuidi. Pogba is something of a hybrid midfielder as he is center midfielder with a playmaker and Number 10 skillset. Pogba is next to impossible to push off the ball, and his individual skill level with the ball is world-class. Matuidi has been a very consistent performer for France who always provides non-stop running and defending for France, but his technical skill is a level below Tolisso’s. Tolisso is smoother technically and uses both feet whereas Matuidi is primarily left-footed. Nevertheless, Matuidi always performs, and he does occasionally score. Deschamps might have a difficult decision picking between the two.

France’s defense is also world-class. The two French center backs, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti, both start for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, and how many national teams can say that their two center backs start for those two clubs? The fullbacks or outside backs for France have been excellent despite being considered the back-ups by most people. Djibril Sidibe and Benjamin Mendy were supposed to be the starters, but Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez have been excellent. One starts for Stuttgart and one starts for Atletico de Madrid, so neither were unknowns playing for small clubs.

France is the second best talent producer in the world after Brazil, so it’s no surprise that France has a stacked squad again who are performing well in the World Cup. France had deep runs in 1998, 2006, and 2014, so France often perform well in the tournament.

This World Cup is France’s to lose, and not winning the 2018 World Cup at this point would have to be viewed as a choke or at least a failure. The tournament is cleared of all the killer shark teams like Germany, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil, so France should win.

France’s Best Lineup for the 2018 World Cup

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Didier Deschamps has selected a deep and talented roster for the 2018 World Cup, albeit with several big snubs including Karim Benzema, Kurt Zouma, and Kingsley Coman. Nevertheless, France will have a great starting lineup at the World Cup with Kylian Mbappe being France’s best player.

Alphönse Areola has made a strong argument to be the starting goalkeeper for France with his excellent season with Paris Saint-Germain where he showed his ability to make big saves, but Deschamps will likely be starting Hugo Lloris in goal as he has been the goalkeeper for France for years without ever giving France a reason to drop him.

Djibril Sidibe is France’s best right back option, and the Monaco right back is an attacking threat down the right sideline. Benjamin Mendy is France’s best left back option, and the Manchester City outside back can actually play either right back or left back.

France’s center backs are one of the team’s strong points with Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti being the clear starters. Zouma was a snub from the roster, but Umtiti is one of the two starting center backs for Barcelona. Varane is a level above Umtiti in terms of skill, defending, and speed, but Umtiti is still  arguably a world-class defender. The midfield and attack is where the real lineup battles are.

N’Golo Kante will start for France as the team’s defensive midfielder anchoring the midfield, but the real question is who will start with Paul Pogba further up in the midfield? Corentin Tolisso is a starting center midfielder for Bayern Munich, and he’s likely a better player than Blaise Matuidi. But, if France starts Kante and Pogba then perhaps starting Thomas Lemar as more of an attacking midfielder is a more aggressive option for France. A midfield of Kante, Pogba, and Lemar balances defending with playmaking and attacking skill. Pogba is something of an anomaly as all great players are. He’s a center midfielder with the attacking skill and creativity of a forward. Pogba is an excellent 1v1 dribbler, playmaker, and scorer, but he doesn’t need to really be the attacking midfielder on paper to be effective and show all his skill.

The French attack is slightly handicapped by the omission of Benzema from the squad as Olivier Giroud is a slower less skilled and less direct forward, but Giroud is a good center forward with plenty of talent. Mbappé is the real attacking threat for France, and Deschamps will likely start him on the left wing with Antoine Griezmann on the right wing. A bold move would be to start Ousmane Dembele over Griezmann as Dembele has shown over the last few months with Barcelona that he is a special talent who can score, pass, and dribble with both feet. Dembele has had a trial by fire by playing with Lionel Messi and Coutinho, and his skill and speed have skill stood out despite playing with those two world-class players.

No one really knows exactly who France will start, but Mbappe will be the star regardless.