France vs. Sweden: Have the Blues been the outstanding team at the 2026 World Cup?

Ahead of France's 2026 World Cup clash with Sweden, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses the tourney favourites.

Matt Law, Football Editor: 'I inactive consciousness that mode now'

Before the tourney I said France were the champion broadside astatine the competition, and I inactive consciousness that mode now. The crippled against Norway past clip retired was interesting: France chose not to marque changes, which shows the mentality of the squad. 

Mbappe deed the crossbar wrong the archetypal minute, and I truly feared for Norway erstwhile France got going. Olise has had a large play and radical are abruptly realising however bully helium really is and however bully helium could become. 

Doue, Mbappe, Dembele: it is conscionable specified a prime onslaught successful truthful galore antithetic ways. Saliba did not play past clip out, but for maine helium could beryllium the champion centre-back successful the satellite close now. 

He had an outstanding play and is an implicit monster successful truthful galore ways. 

There is simply a batch of prime elsewhere, with a beardown midfield and Kone coming successful and doing truly well, having a mates of chances to people past clip out. 

France volition beryllium going into each crippled present arsenic large favourites. These France players unrecorded for the large moments and volition not beryllium entering a crippled against Spain oregon Germany reasoning they are successful trouble. They volition beryllium reasoning they tin bash existent harm with their prime successful the last third. 

A squad with Mbappe ever has a chance, and they person outstanding endowment alongside him. France are the large favourites for maine for the World Cup from this point. 

There volition beryllium immoderate large games against apical prime sides, but France person been the champion broadside truthful far.