FIFA+ spotlights France's Qatar 2022 campaign with highlights and statistics.
FIFA
France: FIFA World Cup profile
Previous World Cup editions: 16
Best performance: Champions (1998, 2018)
Russia 2018: Champions
Top scorer at Qatar 2022: Kylian Mbappé (5)
Qatar 2022 journey
France shed the so-called champion’s curse to secure safe passage from a tricky Group D. The past three World Cup winners, Italy, Spain and Germany, were eliminated at the group stage of the following tournament.
But France recovered from the shock of falling behind to eventually cruise past Australia 4-1 in their opening fixture. A 2-1 win over Denmark secured qualification for the Round of 16 and meant a heavily-changed team’s defeat by Tunisia in the final match counted for very little.
Olivier Giroud broke the national-team scoring record, netting his 52nd France goal, for a first-half advantage in the last 16 against Poland. Kylian Mbappe hit a second-half double to emphatically confirm progress, with Robert Lewandowski’s penalty deep into stoppage time only a consolation.
Highlights
France 4-1 Australia
France 2 Denmark 1
Tunisia 1 France 0
France 3 Poland 1
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Deschamps shares the honour of winning the World Cup as a player and coach with Mário Zagallo of Brazil and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer. The 54-year-old began his playing career with FC Nantes, before shining at Olympique de Marseille and Juventus. Deschamps managed Monaco, who he led to the 2004 UEFA Champions League final, Juventus and Marseille, before taking charge of France in 2012. The French were runners-up at their home European Championship in 2016 but went one better at Russia 2018.
Key player : Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé won the World Cup four years ago at the tender age of 19. He is the youngest scorer in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958 following a strike in the 4-2 victory over Croatia that secured France's second title.
Broadly regarded as one of the world’s finest footballers, the Paris Saint-Germain striker is enhancing a booming reputation in Qatar. Mbappe has five goals from four appearances – three starts – eclipsing the four he managed at Russia 2018.
Qatar 2022 statistics
Shots per game: 17.5
Shots on target per game: 6
Goals per game: 2. 2
Successful passes: 89.20%
Quarterfinal opponent
England or Senegal, Saturday 10 December, (10pm local time)
Overall in the World Cup
Round of 16: Won eight, lost one
Quarterfinals: Won six, lost two
Semi-finals: Won three, lost three
Finals: Won two, lost one.