2006 winners Italy – out at the group stage in 2010.
2010 World Cup winners Spain – out at the group stage in 2014.
2014 World Cup winners Germany – out at the group stage in 2018.
Given their incredible squad depth, even with key players injured, it seems unthinkable that 2018 World Cup winners France will be sent packing before the knockout stages begin.
As one of the tournament favourites, can Les Bleus do what no team has done since Brazil in 1962 – defend their crown? Metro Sport breaks down the French football team:
The Manager: Didier Deschamps
One of only three men to have won the World Cup as a player and a manager, 2022 will bring the curtain down on Didier Deschamps’ highly successful time as Les Bleus boss.
In his 10-year reign, France have won the World Cup, Nations league and finished runner-up in Euro 2016 but they crashed out of last summer’s Euros in shocking fashion to Switzerland.
As always seems to be the case with France, Deschamps has had to rein in big egos, deal with in-fighting and manage a squad overloaded with world-class players – but with Zinedine Zidane waiting in the wings, can he do it one last time.
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Star Player: Kylian Mbappe
Widely heralded as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s throne, Kylian Mbappe is one of the deadliest forwards in the world.
The 23-year-old already has 249 goals in 368 games for club and country and was named the Best Young Player at Russia 2018 after becoming the first teenager since Pele to score in a World Cup final.
But with so much expectation on his shoulders, continuing rumours surrounding his future at Paris Saint-Germain and his haunting penalty miss vs Switzerland, will Mbappe flatter to deceive.
Young Player to Watch: Aurelien Tchouameni
Aurelien Tchouameni was a wanted man last season, with Liverpool very interested in the formidable defensive midfielder whose performances at Monaco earned him rave reviews.
In the end, Real Madrid snapped him up in a deal worth up to £88million and with Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante out with injury, the 22-year-old is expected to play a pivotal role in the French side.
He may lack experience, but so far he has passed every test thrown at him with flying colours.
Playing style:
Ahead of the tournament, Deschamps announced that France would revert from the 3-4-1-2 back to the 4-2-3-1 that delivered the trophy four years ago.
Expect a pragmatic approach, though once the first goal is scored the floodgates could open, however with injury problems ruling out many regulars, Deschamps will be extra cautious.
How they’ll line up:
Captain Hugo Lloris is back in-between the sticks, but the defence supporting him is highly dependent on who’s fit but if everyone’s 100%, Benjamin Pavard and Raphael Varane are sure to start.
Tchouameni’s midfield partner is not set in stone, but Adrien Rabiot, who nearly joined Manchester United in the summer, is the most experienced option at Deschamps’ disposal.
Cramming all of France’s best attackers into one team is very risky, but a front four of Mbappe, Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele is more than enough to scare even the best defences.
Prediction:
Ignore the champions curse at your peril, but France ought to top Group D ahead of Denmark and Australia (who they also played in Group D in Russia) as well as Tunisia.
Argentina and Mexico are the likely round-of-16 opponents and should the tournament go as many expect England may await in the quarter-finals.
Even amidst an injury crisis, France have the tools to defend their crown. Whether they will is very, very unclear.
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