France will go into the European Championships in Germany as the favorites to lift the trophy. The European title has eluded them since 2000, when a brilliant French team, captained by Didier Deschamps and coached by Roger Lemerre, beat Italy in the final.
However, since then, they have not come close to winning it except in 2016, when Portugal beat them in the final. In the meantime, Les Bleus won the 2018 World Cup and finished runners-up in 2022. The current team, coached by former captain Deschamps, is probably the mightiest on the continent at the moment.
A Balanced French Squad
The thing that stands out for the French is the unquestionable balance and depth in their squad. The side have a very strong defence, a powerful midfield and a lethal attack. They are spoilt for choices in their defence, with William Saliba, Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Benjamin Pavard and Ferland Mendy all playing for reputed clubs.
Saliba has been one of the best players in Premier League this season and will be a mainstay in the French defence. The back-line will be shielded by a number of exceptional holding midfielders in the form of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot. Hardly any other team boasts such excellent depth in their defensive set-up.
Then, there will be exceptional attacking players like Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Olivier Giroud, Kinglsey Coman and Marcus Thuram to put pressure on opposition defences. Mbappé scored 44 goals in 48 matches for Paris Saint-Germain in his last season at the club, with the 25-year-old having signed for Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Tricky Opposition Awaits
Les Bleus have been drawn with the Netherlands, Poland, and Austria in group D at the European Championships. While their clash with the Dutch is expected to be one of the matches of the tournament, France should also be wary of the remaining teams in the group, both of which are capable of staging an upset.
Hence, Deschamps will not be taking passage into the knockout stage for granted. His team should line up in their customary 4-3-3 formation, with Mbappé on the left flank, Thuram as the centre-forward and Dembélé on the right.
Griezmann’s role as the attacking midfielder will also be crucial for the team. He might not play international football for much longer and will want to end on a high. The 33-year-old’s ability to create moves with his intelligent passing and crossing will be an immense asset for the French team.
That being said, it is Mbappé that the coaching staff will most rely on to win the title. He appears to be at the peak of his powers, and will look to improve on his goalscoring tally of 47 goals in 78 matches for the national team. Mbappé’s ability to combine with the other forwards will remain a vital component of the French attack in the tournament.
All in all, France will remain one of the teams to beat in the tournament. It remains to be seen whether they are able to win their third European crown next month.