French "La Famille" Spirit Chasing Champions

Of the 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, France boasts the most luxurious and formidable squad. The "Les Bleus" squad could be referred to as an "All Star" if we borrow the term from NBA basketball. It is no surprise that they are favored to become champions in America.

The luxury of the French squad makes many teams envious. While Italy—who failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time—barely has a reliable striker, France is blessed with a lineup of the world's best goal scorers, such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Michael Olise.

So, when Hugo Ekitike—one of Liverpool's most expensive players—was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, France didn't have to wince. They still had Mbappé, as well as the equally ferocious Marcus Thuram and Jean-Philipe Mateta. "Who can match that? They're a truly terrifying team," said Greg O'Keeffe, a journalist for The Athletic.

Like in previous eras, the depth of the French squad in the 2026 World Cup is not limited to the attacking line. They have an experienced midfield lineup that can balance the attack, namely Aurelien Tchouameni and N’Golo Kante. Without Eduardo Camavinga, who has been inconsistent at Real Madrid, France can rely on new talents, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Manu Kone, who have each shone with Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma.

Les Bleus are also blessed with a formidable defensive line rich in achievements, both at the national team level and in clubs. French coach Didier Deschamps continues to trust the central defense position to the duo of William Saliba—who led Arsenal to win the Premier League—and Dayot Upamecano, a Bayern Munich defender who has collected four Bundesliga titles.

Then, Ibrahima Konate and Maxence Lacroix became luxurious "backup" defenders. On the flanks, the resilience of Jules Kounde, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, and Malo Gusto is beyond doubt. They are key players in their respective clubs.

The only deficiency of France lies in the goalkeeper position. Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, and Brice Samba have not reached the level of their charismatic predecessors, such as Fabien Barthez and Hugo Lloris. However, this does not diminish the luxury of the French squad, which has a total value of Rp 30.2 trillion, the highest among other teams.

In addition to its luxurious squad, another advantage of France lies in the figure of Deschamps. The coach, who holds the record as the longest-serving coach of the French national team in the professional era, at 14 years, is well-acquainted with his squad and selected players. The man who has successfully won the World Cup, both as a player and a coach, also has a special recipe for building his team with a winning mentality.

The recipe is to combine great talent with collectivity through tactical discipline. Its motto is "La Famille," which prioritizes the family or the interests of the squad above individual egos. This principle is crucial for Les Bleus, which is populated by a lineup of world megastars. Their stars, such as Dembele, Mbappe, Olise, Saliba, and Doue, are actually competing individually for the Ballon d'Or award.

Therefore, without solidarity and the spirit of unity, the squad of megastars will be in vain, as demonstrated by Les Bleus under Raymond Domenech in the 2010 World Cup, Belgium in the 2018 edition, and Portugal in 2006. This sacred principle is the reason why Deschamps continues to call up Kante, the 35-year-old veteran midfielder from Fenerbahce.

It was as if he had 15 lungs in his chest.

Although no longer as fierce as before, Kante represents the type of player desired by Deschamps. He is a disciplined, intelligent, hard-working, humble player who prioritizes the team over individual accolades. The midfielder, who missed the 2022 edition due to injury, was one of the key figures behind France's success in winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The box-to-box midfielder tirelessly fills various spaces on the pitch, both when his team is attacking and defending. "He looks like he has 15 lungs in his chest," said Paul Pogba, the 2018 World Cup winner from France, describing Kante's high work ethic, as quoted by ESPN.

One of the other advantages of France is the pragmatic approach emphasized by Deschamps. Although possessing a lineup of luxurious attackers, Deschamps does not favor his team indulging in excessive attacks and goals. He prioritizes balance and the final result. Therefore, for some circles, France's style of play is considered boring.

It is not surprising that in the group stage of the last two editions of the World Cup, namely in Russia and Qatar, France averaged only 1.5 goals per match. This number of goals is quite minimal for a team rich in attackers. However, in the knockout stage, when the stakes are higher, they were able to adapt by improving their performance. Their average goals increased to 2.63 goals per match. They even scored three goals in the 2022 final when they were defeated by Argentina in a penalty shootout.

Pragmatism, flexibility, and depth of the squad are essential for navigating the 2026 World Cup, which is longer than previous editions. Moreover, France's path to the final for the third consecutive time is predicted to be challenging. If they can become champions of Group I, they have the opportunity to face Japan/Netherlands/Sweden in the round of 32, Germany in the round of 16, Brazil/Morocco in the quarter-finals, and Belgium/Spain in the semi-finals.

The Opta supercomputer favors France as the second favorite team, just behind Spain, to become champions in America. Their chances of winning are 12.70 percent, while Spain's are 15.99 percent. However, the French squad is more mature and experienced compared to "La Furia Roja." Moreover, the 2026 edition will be the final tournament for Deschamps with Les Bleus.

Deschamps is chasing history as the first man to win the World Cup three times, twice as a coach and once as a player. He will be assisted by Mbappé, who is also chasing his first Ballon d'Or trophy. The 2026 edition will be the Real Madrid striker's prime moment.

So, Les Bleus should be favored as long as they can suppress their egos and prioritize the spirit of "La Famille"...