Xinhua News Agency, Paris, November 7th: The French team has many difficulties in defending its title.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiao Yazhuo
If not for injury, defending champions France would still be one of the strongest teams on paper at the World Cup in Qatar.
But there is no if in the football world. With Kante and Pogba confirmed to be absent due to injury, and Matuidi has been away from the first-line football, all the three main midfielders who won the last World Cup will not appear in Qatar. on the field.
Taking into account the poor performance in the Europa League this year, the prospects of the "Gallic Rooster" World Cup are bleak.
At the World Cup in Russia four years ago, the French team defeated Croatia 4:2 in the final and won the World Cup again after 20 years. Coach Deschamps became the first player to win the World Cup after Zagalo and Beckenbauer. The third person who has won the World Cup as a head coach.
In that World Cup, people saw a pragmatic and efficient French team. They no longer pursued the gorgeous on the scene, but based on the defense, relying on the personal ability of superstars to achieve simple and effective quick counterattacks.
The midfield creativity composed of Kante, Pogba and Matuidi may be slightly lacking, but the defense and confrontation intensity are world-class; the back line led by Varane is stable enough; and on the front line, Greeze Man was at his peak, and the talented young Mbappe was born again.
Just when people thought that such a well-structured and talented team would be soft on the trophy in the next few years, last year's European Championship gave them a blow.
With Benzema's national team's "second entry" and the team's overall strength seemingly improving, the French team was eliminated by the Swiss team in the quarter-finals; they were leading by two goals at that time. It was equalized by the opponent, and the final penalty shootout was lost.
It has been found that this seemingly incomparably powerful French team is not invincible.
In this year's Europa League group stage, the French team only handed over a dismal record of 1 win, 2 draws and 3 losses, just one step away from relegation.
Especially in the face of the same group of opponents in the World Cup, Denmark, the French team was "double-killed" at home and away.
It makes one wonder how far the French team can go in this year's World Cup.
House seemingly endless rain.
In October, the Premier League Chelsea Club announced that midfielder Kante would miss 4 months due to surgery and would definitely miss the World Cup; in early November, Pogba's agent also confirmed that the Juventus midfielder will miss Qatar due to injury.
The originally well-staffed midfield suddenly became stretched.
Deschamps will have to use a new midfield combination in this World Cup, and before that, they have not even had the opportunity to practice a formal warm-up match.
According to French media speculation, the young midfielder Chuameni, who has just moved from Monaco to Real Madrid, will most likely assume a role similar to Kante. Standing beside him may be his Real Madrid teammate Camavinga and the current Midfielder Rabiot for Juventus.
In addition, Fofana, Gondozi and others may also get more appearances.
In contrast, Deschamps has far more options in the forward line.
Although Griezmann, the core player of the last World Cup, has declined in form, the partnership of new Golden Ball winner Benzema and Mbappe is undoubtedly the most frightening striker combination in this World Cup.
Having said that, even if it lacks a number of main players, this French team's lineup is still luxurious.
How to lead this team out of the sluggish state for more than a year, to combine these big-name stars into a whole, and to exert their strongest combat power will test the wisdom of Deschamps and his coaching staff.
Of course, if you want to go further, the French team has to beware of another problem - infighting. After all, the French team also has a tradition in this regard.
This World Cup France is in Group D with Denmark, Australia and Tunisia. They will face their first opponent in the group stage, Australia, on November 22.
Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the defending champions have failed to qualify for the group for three consecutive matches. Can the French team break this "curse"?
(Xinhuanet)