After 72 matches across three countries, the 2026 World Cup group stage has whittled 48 teams down to 32 – and France have made a statement that few can ignore. Les Bleus became the first side since their own victorious 1998 campaign to win all three group games, a feat achieved with a blend of firepower and depth that has left BBC Sport reporters convinced they are the team to beat.
“I’ve seen all of their group games and they’ve made it three wins from three for the first time since they won the World Cup in 1998,” said chief football writer Phil McNulty. “They’re still not perfect, so room to improve as they get stronger under a manager who has the experience to draw on, as Didier Deschamps seeks a third successive World Cup final.” That pursuit of history has been powered by an attack that, after a sloppy start against Senegal, exploded into life when Michael Olise was moved into the number 10 position. Kylian Mbappé – “the happiest I have ever seen him at a major tournament,” according to England reporter Alex Howell – leads a front four that includes Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and the depth of Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola. Behind them, William Saliba has emerged as “one of the best defenders at the tournament”, while Adrien Rabiot quietly links everything together.
“France became the first team since 1998 to win all three World Cup group games, impressing BBC reporters with their depth and attack.”
“I saw them live twice, in New Jersey and Philadelphia, and I would be stunned if they do not make it to the final,” added Howell. McNulty cautioned that “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish and I still believe Spain will not be far away”, but the consensus is clear. “Just looking at their attack with Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé and what it can do when it clicks – and the strength of Didier Deschamps’ squad as a whole – makes me think they will be very difficult to stop,” wrote another BBC reporter. “There are other strong contenders, but they are the most dangerous team in the tournament.”
As the knockout rounds approach, France carry the weight of expectation – and the memory of how they finished in 2018 and reached the final in 2022. For now, they have done what no French side has managed in 28 years: a perfect group stage.