Leboeuf: France Are Among the Favourites, but Their Own Worst Enemy Could Be Themselves

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Chelsea and France defender Frank Leboeuf has given his verdict on France 's chances at the World Cup and the key issues Didier Deschamps must navigate to go all the way.

The 1998 World Cup winner has assessed the fallout from the Ivory Coast defeat, backed William Saliba to be fit and firing, and weighed in on whether Ousmane Dembele or Kylian Mbappe is the bigger threat for France .

Lébœuf has also delivered his predictions for France 's group stage clashes against Senegal and Norway , explained why Erling Haaland could be neutralised, and discussed whether this France generation can ever match the greatness of 1998 .

France Form

Impact of the Ivory Coast Defeat?

First, you have to congratulate Ivory Coast on how they played; I loved it. They were really impressive. It is true that the French team didn't play with their Parisian players, and we know how important they are. William Saliba wasn't there due to injury, so I wouldn't make a big statement about that game; only people who don't understand football would.

We lost the game, but it reminds me of the game we played against Belgium before the 2002 World Cup , where we also lost 2-1. At that time, we had three strikers, Nicolas Anelka , Thierry Henry , and David Trezeguet , who were the top scorers in their respective leagues in England , France , and Italy , yet they didn't score a single goal. While everyone says the offensive line for France is amazing, there are signs that it isn't a guarantee of success. We have to be careful. The first game we played in 2002 was against Senegal , and we lost that as well. There are some bad signs, but hopefully, it's not a repeat of history. It's never good to lose before a World Cup , but I am very confident that France can win.

We saw Spain draw against Iraq , which doesn't mean anything; they had a very big physical week and were perhaps a little tired. They made 10 changes, yet led 1-0 until halftime. We have reasons to be optimistic and see how it works during the tournament. Results before the tournament don't mean anything. I am confident that Deschamps ' squad is very powerful, and along with Spain and Portugal , we are among the favourites.

Biggest Threats to France?

I would say France 's own worst enemy, when we are favourites, is France itself. Too much confidence can be a problem. While Spain has looked like a real threat recently, they haven't achieved much in World Cups since 2010. However, with the squad they have and their form over the last two or three years, you have to consider them favourites. Portugal is also a threat to anyone, especially when you look at the players they have at Paris Saint-Germain and in the Premier League : Bruno Fernandes , Ruben Dias , Bernardo Silva , and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo .

Below that, I would put England . You have to respect that national team with the individual talent they possess. The question is how they will mesh together, especially when it seems clubs are often seen as more important than the national team. We saw that with the reaction to Arsenal 's recent struggles. That kind of thing would never happen in France ; there, you respect the team regardless of the result.

I hope the chemistry between England 's players will emerge during the competition, as they definitely have the team to do well. They've reached the semi-finals before, and I'm sure they can win. But my main concern remains chemistry; if they don't find it, they won't win.

Doubts About Deschamps?

I haven't heard any doubts. I think it's only fair for Didier Deschamps to remain in his position as national team coach and finish his tenure this way, especially since he has the potential to win the World Cup . People often criticise him for being too defensive or claim the team isn't enjoyable to watch, but recently, that has changed.

The talent available is incredible, and the depth of the squad is so significant that it's hard to predict the starting lineup. With players like Mbappe , Barcola , and others, plus those who sat out the last match against Ivory Coast like Olise and Dembele , it's a manager's dream.

You have so many options that you expect Deschamps to let the team play more freely. The main concern for France will be facing opponents who park the bus, teams that sit deep and are afraid to open up. We will likely see this against Iraq and possibly Senegal . Norway , however, might be a different challenge, as they could be a dark horse in this competition. We don't have absolute certainty about how things will play out, but given the immense attacking talent we have, it would be foolish for Deschamps to play too defensively.

Key Players

Saliba Injury Concern?

William Saliba missing out would be a big blow because Ibrahima Konate is not there. He used to be fantastic, but the season he had with many Liverpool players didn't show his confidence, and in the last game against Ivory Coast , he made another mistake; you can feel he is in doubt right now.

Dayot Upamecano is doing great, and I have confidence in Maxence Lacroix , who had a very good season. But nobody can be at Saliba 's level. Saliba is one of the best defenders in the world. I remember seeing him with Marseille when he was on loan, and he came back to Arsenal and showed his strengths. At the time, Mikel Arteta had question marks about whether to keep him, but he proved to be a great defender. It doesn't seem to be a big problem with his back; he could have played, but Deschamps decided to rest him.

Since he just played a Champions League final, it was only fair. I have no doubt that William will be ready and will give his best for France . He has to chill out a little bit; he puts too much pressure on himself when he plays for France . It seems to be a question of pride for him, like it was for me. I played for Chelsea and the national team, but wearing that badge brings different pressures. I share that feeling, and he has to let it go. Hopefully, he will be able to because he would be fantastic for France .

Can Haaland Hurt France?

I have no doubt that Erling Haaland thinks that he can score against anybody. But my main concern about Haaland is that he needs to be provided with chances. If you don't provide him with chances, he will have a hard time creating chances by himself. We have seen that many times with Manchester City , in which he didn't touch the ball for a whole half.

If France is capable of stopping players providing good opportunities to Haaland , we won't see Haaland . But the guy is a top-class player, so it's going to be exciting. Everybody wants to see Haaland . I love that guy. I love the spirit, I love the way he plays, the belief he has in himself; he's gonna be a threat.

That could be a hell of a game, but the fact that France vs Norway is the third game of the group stage might be something different, in which we see the B teams. For France in 1998, we played Denmark in what was maybe the most difficult game. But it was the third one, and we had already qualified. We won against South Africa and Saudi Arabia . I would think two-thirds of the players were different. That could be the case for France vs Norway this time; we might not even see Haaland .

Dembele or Mbappe?

Are France fans backing Dembele or Mbappe ? It's a great question. I think because Kylian Mbappe did what he did in the last fifteen minutes of the last World Cup final, scoring three goals, everyone still thinks he's capable of that. I'm the first to think so, because his talent and power are amazing. But in terms of what we like, we like Dembele , especially the way he talks. He said, if I don't run, my coach at Paris Saint-Germain will put me on the bench. That's the best statement he's made. People might say, my god, yes, why doesn't Mbappe do that? That was insane, and that's the main concern regarding him.

When he was under Luis Enrique , everyone saw on TV that discussion they had in the training area. The coach said, You see that player? He was running back, even when losing the game. You are a fantastic player; if you do that, you'll be big-time. Mbappe didn't do that, and then he left for Real Madrid . Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain went on to win two Champions Leagues in a row. Real Madrid hasn't won anything for two years. So, Dembele seems to be a better teammate than Mbappe .

But Mbappe is the captain of France and is capable of doing things as crazy as Dembele . So they share the top spot. But don't forget, they aren't alone. I think Michael Olise is even above those two guys. Michael Olise is insane, and everyone believes he is the top player right now. I didn't know he didn't speak French very well. I saw an interview with him yesterday; I had never heard him speak before. He speaks with an English accent and searches for his words. That's interesting, but it's nice. We had David Trezeguet like that; he was Argentine , but he became French when he came to France . His French wasn't perfect, but it was nice to see.

Greatest Generation?

Can This France Team Match 1998?

They would be recognised as the best team ever if they win twice. But what we achieved in 1998 will never be compared because it was the first time, it was at home, and it was against Brazil . Everything was perfect; it was a perfect world. It was a different era, with no violence or problems down the road.

When we saw those people in Paris acting like PSG fans, destroying everything, they weren't true supporters. My daughter lived in Paris and saw these people destroying things around 6:15 PM; they didn't even watch the game. They wore fake shirts and just wanted to cause trouble. That has to stop.

But what we achieved in 1998 is incomparable. It was the first time we showed the nation how strong we could be together. It was a perfect world where all communities fought together. If you talk to those who experienced both, they know. Young people who didn't see '98 might prefer 2018, which was also great, but it's not comparable. Our 1998 parade lasted two hours, while 2018's was much shorter. It's a different era, but 1998 will never be equalled.

Group Stage Predictions

France vs Senegal Prediction?

That's going to be hard. The first game of the competition is always tricky; in 2002, we hit the post a couple of times, and the result could have been different. That's football. I predict 2-1 for France . I hope the guys will do the job; overall, we are better than Senegal , but you have to prove it on the pitch. That's always the big thing.

If everyone is in good shape, I see a 2-1 win. It's always difficult because France is well-represented. I consider the Senegalese as our cousins; there is so much history between us. When we were beaten by Senegal in 2002, the first thing we did was congratulate them because they deserved the win. It's hard to criticise them; Senegal is a nation we truly love.

France vs Norway Prediction?

It's very hard to predict these kinds of games, especially since it's the third match of the group stage. It's likely both coaches will rotate their squads and rest some key players. That said, it will be an interesting match. We saw France 's B-team play against Brazil in the United States a month ago; France essentially has two squads capable of reaching the quarter-finals.

However, Norway has pride; I'm a Viking myself, so I know what that means. They won't let go easily. I see this ending in a 2-2 draw. You cannot definitively say France is better than Norway . They've proven they are a real underdog and performed very well during the qualifiers. While the actual tournament is different, you have to respect them. I learned that the hard way against Denmark four years ago; underdogs can surprise many teams.

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