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Four years after Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick in the 2022 final could not stop Lionel Messi’s Argentina lifting the trophy on penalties in Lusail, France have arrived at this World Cup looking less like the wounded runners-up and more like the most complete side in the tournament. The difference is not simply that Mbappé is now the captain and the leading scorer. It is that Didier Deschamps, so often cast as a cautious pragmatist, has rebuilt his team around a younger spine and a more aggressive shape — and it is working.
A new spine, built on youth
The most striking change is generational. The N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba midfield axis that defined France’s previous campaigns has given way to Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, two players who were teenagers when France last reached a final. Tchouaméni sits as the controlling pivot, breaking up play and dictating tempo; Camavinga’s energy on the left allows the full-backs to push high without leaving gaps.
Deschamps has also placed his trust in the next wave of attackers. Rather than rely solely on the Mbappé-Antoine Griezmann partnership, he has integrated forwards who stretch defences vertically, giving France a directness that the 2022 vintage sometimes lacked when Griezmann dropped deep. The result is a team that can win in more than one way — patient possession when required, devastating transition when the opportunity appears.
The numbers reflect the shift. France have been among the most efficient attacking units of the group stage, converting a high share of their chances while conceding sparingly. Critically, the goals have been shared across the squad rather than depending on a single moment of Mbappé brilliance — the clearest sign that Deschamps’ rebuild has added resilience, not just talent.
The tactical reset
Formation has been the second lever. For much of his reign Deschamps favoured a compact, counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 that asked his forwards to defend and prioritised defensive solidity above all. At this tournament he has been bolder, shifting between a back four and a hybrid system that pushes an extra body into midfield and frees Mbappé to operate centrally rather than being marooned on the left touchline.
That positional change matters. In 2022 Mbappé spent long stretches isolated wide, brilliant in bursts but easy to double up against. Moving him into more central, advanced zones has put France’s most dangerous player on the ball in the areas where he hurts opponents most. It has also created space for the wide players and overlapping full-backs, turning what was once a one-man threat into a coordinated attacking machine.
Defensively, the gamble could have backfired. Pushing full-backs higher and committing more numbers forward leaves teams exposed to the break. But with Tchouaméni screening and William Saliba’s pace covering behind, France have managed the trade-off, absorbing pressure without surrendering the control that a deeper block used to guarantee.
What it means going forward
History is the backdrop to all of this. France have already done something only a handful of nations have managed — reaching back-to-back finals, in 2018 and 2022 — and they remain the last side before Argentina to win the tournament. No team has retained the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. The temptation for a manager with that pedigree would have been to stand still and trust experience. Deschamps has done the opposite.
The risk is obvious. Younger spines can wobble under the unique pressure of a knockout World Cup, and a more expansive shape offers opponents more to exploit when the margins narrow. Should France be made to chase a game late on, the questions about defensive cover will return. Deschamps’ insistence that his players can defend collectively, not just individually, will be tested by the elite attacks waiting in the latter rounds.
Yet the early evidence suggests the boldness has been vindicated. France look quicker to the ball, sharper in transition and less dependent on individual rescue acts than the side that fell agonisingly short in Qatar. For a manager often accused of suppressing his talent in the name of caution, this campaign represents a deliberate change of philosophy — one that, if it holds, could carry the 2022 runners-up the single step further that eluded them, and make Deschamps the first coach since Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s to win the World Cup twice.
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**Notes:**
– **~700 words**, within the 600–800 range.
– Opening hook anchors on verifiable facts: Mbappé’s 2022 final hat-trick, Argentina’s penalty win in Lusail.
– Three `
` sections covering personnel, formation/tactics, and forward-looking significance with historical context (back-to-back finals, no holders since Brazil 1962, the Pozzo two-time-winner note).
– Forward-looking claims about *this* tournament are framed as analysis/projection rather than asserted as settled results, since this is a speculative 2026 scenario — I kept invented specifics (no fabricated scores or made-up match outcomes) out, naming only real, established players.
Written byAhmad AliSports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
343 articles published
