America, Welcome Mbappe and Multidimensional French Attack

PARIS, FRIDAY — The French national team promises many exciting things for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. They will continue to rely on superstar striker Kylian Mbappe, who has shone in the last two editions. The difference is that Mbappe is now surrounded by many talented players in the attacking line who can support him from various dimensions.

"Si Biru" secured their ticket to the World Cup after defeating Ukraine 4-0 in the Group D qualifying match at the Parc des Princes Stadium, Paris, France, on Friday (14/11/2025) early morning WIB. France emerged as the group champion with 13 points. Although there is still one match remaining, their points are already unassailable by their competitors.

For Mbappe, that night was very special. In addition to leading France to the World Cup in America, he also achieved a milestone of 400 goals in his career. Mbappe, 26 years old, became the youngest player in the 21st century to reach that record. All of those goals were scored in just 537 appearances.

Mbappe stated that his motivation has increased following that achievement. "400 goals are not enough to impress people. I want to leave a mark in football, so I must score at least 400 more goals. There is only one player who has scored 950+ goals and another who has scored 900+ goals," he said.

Mbappe has scored in the last six matches for France, including a pair of goals against Ukraine. He is on fire. This best version is eagerly awaited in America. As is known, the Real Madrid forward always shines when appearing in the World Cup. This was evidenced by his total of 12 goals in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

"He is filled with happiness. You can see and feel that," said French Coach Didier Deschamps about Mbappe. "When he is at his level, it will be difficult for our opponents and easier for us. There was a period when he went through matches without scoring, but now he has become very decisive," he continued.

Although still relying on Mbappe, the French squad can promise many other things from their attacking line. Deschamps is no longer dependent on veteran strikers, such as Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud. The trio of Mbappe, Griezmann, and Giroud has been the mainstay for France in reaching the finals in the last two editions.

France currently has many talented young players in the forward line. Just look at the match earlier; they were indeed unable to utilize the services of two Paris Saint-Germain strikers, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele. However, Mbappe is still accompanied by other top players, such as winger Michael Olise (23) and Bradley Barcola (23), as well as attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki (22).

Cherki is in top form at Manchester City. Due to his exceptional quality, the attacking midfielder has managed to secure a starting position at City, taking it from the Dutch national team player Tijjani Reijnders. Meanwhile, Olise plays a crucial role in Bayern Munich's unbeaten record across all competitions since the beginning of the season.

On the bench, Deschamps also has many options. One of them is Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike (23), who was brought on in the 67th minute. Ekitike, who is having an impressive debut season at Liverpool, contributed one goal against Ukraine. This was his first goal for France.

AS Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche (23) has become a regular substitute in three consecutive matches. Akliouche has consistently been able to raise the tempo of the game with his penetrative runs from the wing. When he was deployed against Iceland last month, he provided an assist for the winning goal for "The Blues."

Deschamps stated that the retirement of veteran players and injury conditions affecting several players played a role in the rejuvenation of the squad. "That (the depth of the squad) allows me to play the style I want. It will certainly be difficult to choose who will play if all players are available," he said.

The luxury of the attacking line allows Deschamps to be very flexible in his tactical choices. The coach can alternate Olise's position as a right winger and attacking midfielder within the same match. Barcola, Dembele, and Doue can also play on both wings simultaneously.

Together with Ekitike, France has the option to play super offensively in emergency situations. He has proven to be effective alongside Mbappe in a 4-4-2 formation or filling the left wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Meanwhile, "Les Bleus," who are lacking creative players in Qatar, will have a new solution in Cherki, the pure "number 10" player.

The French squad approaches the World Cup with the highest confidence. They have remained unbeaten in World Cup and European Championship qualifying matches since June 2019. During this period, they recorded an impressive record of 22 wins and 6 draws. Only Belgium (46) has recorded a longer unbeaten streak. (AP/REUTERS)