After France lost the 2022 World Cup Final, it would have been understandable if the team was dealing with an emotional hangover even four years later.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Looking to defend its 2018 World Cup title, France lost to Argentina in 2022 in one of the greatest matches ever played.Kylian Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, but his heroic effort wasn’t enough as Argentina won in penalties.Four years later, there’s not a hint of complacency or dejection in France.
Instead, after a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16, France looks poised to become the first team to make three straight finals since Brazil from 1994 to 2002.The round of 16 game Saturday showed off the sheer talent and the depth of this French team.
With Paraguay packing in its defense, the game remained scoreless for a while, until France brought in Désiré Doué as a substitute in the 61st minute.On almost any other World Cup team, Doué would be a star.
For France, he’s a luxury.Doué’s aggression drew a penalty, which allowed Mbappé to score on a penalty kick, giving him seven goals for the tournament and 19 all time, the second-most in World Cup history behind only Lionel Messi, who currently has 20.For France, the signs of dominance first appeared in the group stage.France kicked off the 2026 World Cup with a 3-1 win over Senegal, and followed it up with a 3-0 win over Iraq.
And even though Norway elected to sit most of its top players for its final Group I match, France kept its foot on the gas, and won running away 4-1.France ended the group stage with a tournament-best goal differential of plus-eight, then crushed Sweden to the tune of 3-0 to begin the knockout rounds.
After its win over Paraguay, France’s goal differential is now plus-12, a firm marker of how it has thoroughly outclassed every opponent.Paraguay did its best to play any...