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France cruise into semi-finals - could this be the best Les Bleus ever
France cruise into semi-finals - could this be the best Les Bleus ever?
World Cup winners in 1998 and 2018, France have created another special team and are favourites to win the 2026 competition.
They showed just why they remain the team to beat this year with an impressive 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday to become the first nation into the semi-finals.
France have also won the European Championship twice, but has Didier Deschamps, in his final tournament as manager, created the best ever Les Bleus team?
If they lift the trophy on 19 July, they can justify that claim, with former midfielder Patrick Vieira, who played in the 3-0 final win over Brazil in 1998, saying this current crop were on the verge of greatness.
Speaking on ITV Sport, Vieira said: "We're talking about a generation of players and when you look at the squad and the attacking players, it is maybe one of the best, because you have so many players - it is so unbelievable."
France's victory in Boston came with two goals in a six-minute spell in the second half, with Kylian Mbappe's opener quickly followed by a goal from Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele.
Those goals were the 15th and 16th France have scored in this tournament, more than any other team, although the other three quarter-finals are still to take place.
Mbappe's goal, which came after he had a first-half penalty saved, was his eighth of the tournament – moving him level with Argentina's Lionel Messi as top scorer, although Mbappe is currently leading the race for Golden Boot because he has more assists than the Argentine.
Dembele now has five goals in this tournament, and France are only the second side in the past 50 years to have two players score five or more goals at the same World Cup tournament, after Brazil in 2002 (Ronaldo eight, Rivaldo five).
"France are the best, most skilful, most dangerous attacking team in the tournament," said former Scotland striker Pat Nevin on BBC Radio 5 Live.
They have more than one [threat]. They have two, three, four that are capable.
Deschamps has been manager of the French team since 2012 and has already said this will be his last tournament in charge.
In those 14 years, France have won the 2018 World Cup and lost to Argentina in the 2022 final. Les Bleus also lost to Portugal in the final of the 2016 European Championship and were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the semi-finals of Euro 24.
If Spain beat Belgium in their quarter-final on Friday (20:00 BST) they will face France's in the last four in Dallas on Tuesday (20:00 BST).
France began this tournament third in the world rankings, behind reigning holders Argentina in top spot and current European champions Spain in second.
Spain started their campaign with a goalless draw against underdogs Cape Verde, although they have reached the quarter-finals without conceding a goal.
Yet Vieira expects Deschamps to guide France to a third successive final.
"Before the competition, we were all convinced that Spain would be in the semi-final or the quarter-final," added the former Arsenal captain.
"I think France will not have any kind of issues playing against them. France are a better team today than they were four years ago, but I don't think Spain are a better team today than they were four years ago.
I don't see anybody stopping the French team going to the final.
Before the game against Morocco, former England striker Ian Wright called Deschamps' side "one of the most clear favourites for a World Cup tournament I have ever seen".
After a dominant victory in Boston, in which France had 22 attempts compared to only five from Morocco, who had their only shot on target in the 83rd minute, Wright remained impressed.
It is difficult to see the weakness," said Wright. "If Spain get through they have the quality to maybe pass through them and maybe the pace of Lamine Yamal to try and punish them, but France look imperious. Then you have got individual brilliance.
As well as Mbappe and Dembele, France also have plenty of further attacking options in their squad, including Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, Paris St-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
At the opposite end, France have now only conceded two goals in six games - late on in a 3-1 win over Senegal and once in the 4-1 victory over Norway, albeit a side that had rested most of their first 11 having already qualified for the knockout phases.
"France have got more gears to go," said former Manchester United captain Roy Keane. "France were so much better in every aspect of the game, but it doesn't mean they cannot be beaten.
France are in a great place. You have your attacking players scoring goals and your individual players going past people. Any chance of beating France you have got to score the first goal. Even if they get the first goal, teams have to come at them, and they will pick you off for fun.
France can now sit and watch the other three quarter-finals take place before they play another semi-final.
Having beaten Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco, France have been flawless so far and are two wins away from becoming world champions for a third time.
But Nevin warned them against complacency.
"We have seen one or two weaknesses, glimmers, no more than that," said Nevin. "Sometimes when they have cruised to a win they do take their eye off the ball.
In reality, perhaps the only team that can stop them is themselves by not playing at their best.
Source: BBC
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