France headline tough World Cup Group I as Mbappe faces Haaland

Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, France arrive at this World Cup as one of the leading contenders, but the planet’s top-ranked team face stiff tests against Senegal and Norway in Group I, which also features outsiders Iraq.

Les Bleus have won the World Cup twice and lost two further finals on penalties in the last seven editions, including last time in Qatar when they were beaten by Argentina in a shoot-out after Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in an epic contest.

France now go into their last tournament under long-serving coach Didier Deschamps, who has been in charge since 2012 and is expected to be replaced by Zinedine Zidane.

Deschamps is wary of a tough group and France have stumbled as favourites before — they arrived at the 2002 World Cup as holders and were eliminated in the group stage without scoring a goal.

Back then they lost their opening game to Senegal in Seoul, and they will hope history doesn’t repeat itself when they play the Lions of Teranga in their first fixture this time, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 16.

“It is one of the most difficult groups, if not the hardest,” said Deschamps.

“We have a fraternal relationship with Senegal because there are a lot of dual national players who have played for French clubs and know the French players. And Norway are one of the very good European teams.”

France have a fearsome attack that is the envy of world football, led by captain Mbappe — top scorer in La Liga this season with Real Madrid — and reigning Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembele, but also featuring the likes of Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki.

Senegal threat, Norway back 

Senegal’s 2002 win over France sparked a best-ever run for them to the quarter-finals, and they have ambitions of another deep foray.

Their build-up has been overshadowed by the fall-out from January’s Africa Cup of Nations final, when they beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time.

But the chaos in that game, when Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest at a late penalty awarded to the hosts, led to Pape Thiaw’s team later being stripped of their title by the Confederation of African Football. They have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Senegal’s squad is still led by Sadio Mane, who is now 34 and missed the last World Cup with injury.

Norway are back on the scene, reaching their first World Cup since 1998 and first major tournament since Euro 2000.

Their success under coach Stale Solbakken has been centred around Erling Haaland, the 25-year-old Manchester City superstar who is one of the best pure number nines of the 21st century.

Norway start against Iraq in Boston and play Senegal at the MetLife Stadium before returning to Boston to play France.

That showdown will see the Premier League’s top scorer Haaland take on Mbappe. Haaland scored 16 goals in eight qualifiers, including wins home and away against Italy.

He is ably supported by the likes of Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard and Atletico Madrid centre-forward Alexander Sorloth.

“We believe that we have a strong squad…that has achieved great results over a long period of time,” said Solbakken.

Those three sides will all aim to progress, with the eight best third-placed teams also reaching the last 32.

Simply being there is an enormous achievement for Iraq, who last graced the World Cup in 1986.

Their qualifying campaign took in 21 games, including a dramatic Asian play-off against the United Arab Emirates.

Iraq secured qualification with victory over Bolivia in an intercontinental play-off in Mexico in March.

“We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest ranked at the World Cup,” their coach Graham Arnold told AFP.

“But it’s a World Cup. Anything can happen.”

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المصدر: The Namibian