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This World Cup has been nothing short of a blast, we've had upsets galore, wonder goals in abundance and some thrilling games. As a result of various upsets, traditional "big" teams have left the tournament early while some favourites still remain in the tournament.
One of these favourites are France. Going into the World Cup, France certainly had one of the stronger teams and were able to leave the likes of Anthony Martial at home. Their attacking prowess was seen in their 3-1 win over Italy in a friendly.
They've come past a relatively easy group with some difficulty only scraping wins past Peru and Australia but found themselves on the "tougher" side of the draw.
However, the attack finally turned up against Argentina and dispatched their lacklustre defence led by their new young superstar, Kylian Mbappe. Now faced with a tough quarterfinal against Uruguay, let's see if France can repeat the heroics of 1998 and go all the way for the second time in their history.
#4 Attack, attack, attack
France's attack is probably second to none when it comes to pure pace. They have the likes of Mbappe, Dembele, Fekir and Lemar in their ranks who are all young and brimming with confidence.
With Blaise Matuidi suspended for the Uruguay game, it could be a chance for Dembele to showcase his talent on the world stage if Deschamps decides to play him on the left wing. Add to that, the experience, power and aerial prowess of Giroud and it's a near-perfect attack.
The star player, of course, is Antoine Griezzman, the best player at the Euros in 2016. He hasn't really turned up yet, scoring no goals in open play but one should expect a big game from him sooner rather than later.
This attack is the perfect concoction of raw pace, strength and skill making it probably the best-rounded attack along with Belgium. They came to the party against Argentina and although Uruguay's defence has been near impenetrable, if there is a team that can unlock it, its France.
#3 One word - N'golo Kante
Ngolo Kante is probably France's most important player. As Paul Pogba rightly said,'Its like he has 15 lungs". He never stops running and is always making crucial interceptions. His ability to play the ball forward is underrated as he makes several key forward passes.
He offers a different dimension to this French team and his presence allows Pogba to move forward which he isn't able to do at his club, Manchester United. Pogba in the CAM role means better service for the forwards allowing the team to function better.
Kante has been France's best player until now and his service is indispensable. He's a managers dream player and in my opinion, the player who gifts France the cutting edge and could be the reason they go all the way.
#2 Youth, Desire and Unity
This team is young, the second youngest in the World Cup. They have promise, desire and most importantly they're fearless. The core of this team will be the same for the next 6-8 years which is very important for international football.
It has shades of the 1998 team as then a 25-year-old Zidane was ably supported by a 20-year-old highly touted young striker by the name of Thierry Henry just like how Pogba and co are supported by Mbappe.
Another understated feature of this team is their unity. Pogba and Mendy play for rival clubs yet in their national sides, they act like best buddies which is healthy for the environment. In a recent interview, Ferdinand, Gerrard and Lampard spoke about how the fact that they all played for rival clubs in the domestic leagues affected team spirit in the England team.
This affected the golden generation of England. With France, the atmosphere seems relaxed and the players are gelling well.
#1 Underrated Defence
Not many people talk about France's defence which is heavily underrated according to me. Raphael Varane is probably the best young centre-back in the world and has played in the biggest of games for Real Madrid, most recently the Champions League Final.
His partner, Samuel Umtiti is what one can describe as a beast (when he's not pretending to play basketball while defending). They complement each other well and have formed quite the partnership. They play for the best of clubs and have vast experience under their young belts.
The fullbacks, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard are young yet smart defenders. Hernandez has got a great cross on him and my word, the goal Pavard scored against Argentina is a big contender for Goal of the tournament.
This defence is solid and their backups aren't half bad either as Adil Rami, Benjamin Mendy and Djibril Sidibe all start for their respective clubs.
These factors and more are the reasons why I think France can go all the way. If France can shore up minor mistakes, they are genuine contenders for the Cup. On their day, the have the talent and skill to get past Brazil, Belgium or any of the contenders. Allez Les Bleus!
Do you agree? Use the comments section below to let us know where you stand on this.
