The Champions Curse. That is an usually referred time period whispered across the soccer circuits, each time the World Cup comes round. The defending champions as a rule fail to rise as much as the event relating to defending the crown.
Since 2002, besides Brazil in 2006, each staff making an attempt to retain the World Cup, have exited from the Group stage. France was eradicated from the group in 2002, Italy was gone in a flash in 2010, Spain was dropped at its knees in 2014 and Germany fell on its face in 2018. That’s 5 instances in 6 World Cups that the defenders of the cup needed to take the flight dwelling with out qualifying for the knockouts.
France are heading to Qatar to defend their title. Because the spectral reminiscence of 2002 nonetheless lingers within the background, this could be Les Bleus’ likelihood to exorcise their demons and turn into the one staff after Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Un 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙞 pour représenter la 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙚̀𝙧𝙚 🇫🇷#FiersdetreBleus
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪. 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦́𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳 💙© Jean-François Robert / modds pic.twitter.com/almUYrWgkI
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 18, 2022
However it’s more durable than it seems to be for the time being. Despite the fact that this French staff is stuffed to the brim with expertise, accidents to Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante have opened up a gaping gap within the midfield that the opposition is certain to use. They do have the Actual Madrid midfield core of their place with Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni more likely to mix nicely however they’re nonetheless uncooked abilities who’re vulnerable to small errors. Small errors are typically what stands between glory and exit within the World Cup.
They’ve additionally misplaced Christopher Nkunku in assault and Presnel Kimpembe in defence attributable to accidents however they’ve the squad depth to make up for it with superstars similar to Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele main their traces. Moreover, in defence, they’re bursting on the seams with the likes of Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Jules Kounde, Benjamin Pavard and Raphael Varane all making up for a really scary prospect for the opposition.
However even with this squad depth, the staff has been blighted with controversies. Mbappe, particularly, has been within the eye of the storm since lacking that fateful penalty in opposition to Switzerland that knocked France out of Euro 2020. Then there was the desire he, received’t he saga with Actual Madrid, which the 23-year-old lastly ended in the summertime after selecting to stay at PSG. However current reviews said that he was sad there and had even admitted that he made a mistake by re-signing with the French champions. However it is going to come as a aid to educate Didier Deschamps that the mercurial ahead has not let his off-field worries have an effect on his on area performances, having scored 18 instances in 19 video games in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
France are drawn in Group D alongside Denmark, Australia and Tunisia and if individuals are underneath the impression that it’ll be cakewalk for the champions, they’ve one other factor coming. Primarily based on their current kind, Christian Eriksen’s Denmark have France’s quantity, beating them twice within the UEFA Nations League in June in addition to in September. Additionally they succumbed 1-0 to Croatia in the identical match because the Luka Modric aspect gained a modicum of revenge for his or her 2018 World Cup heartbreak. If the World Champions can see off Denmark and survive an unpredictable fixture in opposition to Australia, they’ll most likely prime the Group, which is predicted of them.
Nonetheless, 10 years in the past, they did not win a single match of their title protection in Korea and Japan, a reality Deschamps shall be fairly cautious of. With a sure Zinedine Zidane lurking within the shadows, the present France coach, whose contract is up after the 2022 World Cup, shall be hoping for one final hurrah.