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Nine points, first place in a star-studded Group I and a spot in the round of 32: that's the dominant start that France has produced at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
But the round of 32 brings higher stakes and a brand-new level of competition: the winner moves on, the loser goes home. For FOX Sports’ Zlatan Ibrahimović, this France team stands in a league of its own.
"This is levels. When they switch on, I don’t see many teams beating them. The only chance they invite their opponents to the game is when they relax, and they switch off," Ibrahimović said after France’s 4-1 win over Norway. "This is something else. Now everybody is eating. It’s a team to watch out (for), they are the favorites to win the World Cup. It’s on another level."
The 2022 World Cup runner-ups won all three group stage games over Norway, Senegal and Iraq and are +350 to win the tournament. On top of their nine points, France scored 10 total goals and conceded just two.
France's roster has showed out and proven they're the team to beat at the World Cup.
Star striker Kylian Mbappé enters his second World Cup and is already on track to win another Golden Boot award. Through three games, Mbappé has recorded four goals – two against Iran, and two against Senegal. Additionally, striker Ousmane Dembélé added a hat trick to his World Cup resume against Norway.
For FOX Sports’ Thierry Henry, the French roster speaks for itself, but does not allow any breathing room heading into single elimination.
"We all know the team that we have and the bench that we have. New World Cup starts now for everybody. When you go into the round of 32, any mistake will be costly," Henry said after the win. "It's not like you have another game and another game, and you see how it works (out). If you lose, you go home. So let's see what's going to happen. It was nice to see some guys scoring goals, Dembélé scored more… It's another World Cup. It's a different type of competition right now for me personally."
France continues their World Cup campaign on June 30 against Sweden in New York/New Jersey Stadium.
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