Winners in 1998, and runners-up in 2006, France have a squad full of exciting, young talent.
France topped a very tricky qualification group featuring Sweden, who came second, and
the Netherlands, who failed to make it through.
France drew their opening fixture in qualifying away to Belarus, and lost away to Sweden,
but then went unbeaten (although they did, somewhat bizarrely, draw at home to Luxembourg
0-0).
Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann both weighed in with four goals and four players
scored twice, including Dimitri Payet, who misses out on the final squad due to an injury
aggravated in the Europa League final for Marseille.
France have used a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3, though their recent friendlies, including a 3-0 win
over 2018 hosts Russia, have seen them use the latter formation.
Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny is another injury absence, so Raphael Varane and Samuel
Umtiti will likely line up in front of captain and ‘keeper Hugo Lloris; Adil Rami is another
solid option.
The full backs, including surprise call-up Benjamin Pavard of Stuttgart, will push high
to provide width in either formation, and overlap round the inside forwards who flank
either a central striker, or a striker and attacking midfielder.
The midfield presents an embarrassment of riches.
N’Golo Kante is guaranteed to start in the holding role, though he adds a greater dynamism
than French manager Didier Deschamps did from the water-carrying position.
Should France go with a two man pivot, Kante could line up alongside Paul Pogba, although
Steven N’Zonzi represents a capable deep-lying playmaker option, while Blaise Matuidi would
play a box-to-box role, leaving creativity to come from further up the pitch.
France’s currently preference for 4-3-3 should see Pogba line up with one other: alongside
those already mentioned, Thomas Lemar provides an attacking option who can get forwards,
Corentin Tolisso has excelled for Bayern as sort of six/eight, and even Nabil Fekir, nominally
an attacking midfielder, could strike from a deeper position.
Deschamps’ biggest challenge is less how this team should play, and more how to accommodate
so much ability.
Up front, France can show a degree of flexibility.
They will play two wingers, and they will likely be Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe,
though Florian Thauvin, who excelled for Marseille this season, is a useful option.
These two players will look to run into space, especially on the counter, and cut inside
with full backs overlapping, should France build their attack more slowly, rather than
strike out on the counter.
Fekir could play between these two as a false nine, but the more likely options are Griezmann,
who would suit France’s pace-based game, or Giroud, who provides a useful, aerial ability,
and can hold the ball up to bring in the wide players.
France will press, especially in the midfield area, while the full backs will get forwards
to pressure the opposition wide players.
The 4-3-3 will fall back into a 4-5-1 or even a 4-1-4-1 against better sides, but France
will always be looking to transition quickly into a counter, exploiting their searing pace
out wide.
As with the other top sides at the tournament, France did not look anything other than very
good.
The experience of Koscielny will be missed, which could see Rami start in one of the centre
back spots ahead of more talented, but less battle-hardened, players.
Much will be expected of Lloris in terms of leadership – while Kante is an exceptional
player in a central role, he is not the most vocal, while the other leaders in the team
do so more by charisma or example than by organising and cajoling.
But the squad seems well balanced, experienced defenders aside, and the midfield and striking
options not only allow cover for injuries, but also give Deschamps a high degree of tactical
flexibility in terms of set-up and style.
Giroud and Griezmann are the only clear striking options, but they offer different things,
and Fekir and Mbappe can play that role if required.
Should France progress, Kante’s ability to do the job of two midfielders will be key,
especially if France go with an attacking 4-3-3, that could see Pogba and Lemar both
pushing forwards.
The young wide men, Mbappe and Dembele, are far from untested prospects, but this could
be the tournament in which they come of age on the world stage.
Key an eye out too for left back Lucas Hernandez, and Florian Thauvin coming off the bench to
offer a real goal threat.
France should top Group C comfortably, and the semi-finals look well within their grasp,
but a lack of experience could count against them.