The World Cup 2018 France team are one of the favourites to win the prestigious trophy and it’s easy to see why with the quality that Didier Deschamps has to choose from. Victory will be the aim for the star-studded group as they look to add to their sole FIFA World Cup win which came back in 1998 on home turf, thanks to a memorable double from the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Now, it will be down to the class of 2018 to step up to make themselves legends of French football, with a lot of pressure end expectancy on the side, particularly after they lost to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016, their last major tournament. Here at Open Odds we will look to give you the lowdown on France, analysing why the World Cup team France 2018 is one of the favourites, looking at France betting odds and how they managed to reach Russia.
Top 3 World Cup Bookies
France prediction: How well will they do?
As mentioned, France are one of the favourites for the World Cup outright and it is easy to see why. They have quality in every position and look to be a complete team. They should match up to any side physically and they boast several quick, technical players in the final third that make them an exciting watch for the neutral. Yet, there are other similarly talented sides at the squad, so small factors could play a big part.
Firstly, you need a nice draw and the French have been given that, with Peru, Australia and Denmark making up the opposition. Whilst they all have qualities, the reality is Deschamps’ men should have little trouble in topping the group. Unfortunately, that is reflected in the prices with France 1/3 with SkyBet to finish first in Group C.
That may seem too short for some punters, so an alternative way to get France at odds against to top the group would be to pair it with something, such as France to finish first and Australia to finish last which is 13/8 with the same bookmakers. Going further in the competition should be a given for France and should they top Group C, they will play the runner up of Group D in the last 16. That group contains Argentina, Croatia, Nigeria and Iceland and they will be hoping Argentina top the group so they avoid them.
In reality, that’s what should happen, with Croatia expected to finish second. Whilst they would represent a tough last 16 opponent, France will expect to beat them. Whilst it can get complicated and in football nothing is ever guaranteed, providing Spain win Group B, they should face Portugal or Uruguay in the last eight. Again, these aren’t easy ties for the French but they are also not the hardest considering a place in the semi-final is up for grabs. Given that, we are happy to recommend France to reach the semi-final with odds of 11/8 with Sky Bet. That looks a very good value bet given their pathway to the latter stages.
At that stage of the competition anything can happen, so we wouldn’t put people off backing France to win the World Cup outright at odds of 11/2 with William Hill. However, we think there are slightly better sides out there who could have too much in the semi-final stage.
Journey to the World Cup — Who did France beat to qualify?
Qualifying from the UEFA section is usually never that tough for the majority of elite European teams but France were handed a very tough group as they looked to become a World Cup 2018 participant. They came up against Sweden and Holland, who were the realistic challengers for top spot. Obviously, France are a better side than both of these countries but it wasn’t the walk in the park that other European nations had.
A late defeat in Sweden, an embarrassing 0-0 draw at home to Luxembourg, and a draw in Belarus were the negatives of this campaign, however in the end they qualified with relative ease. France topped the group by four points to avoid a play-off spot and it was Holland who missed out altogether, with Sweden taking second place.
Deschamps’ side weren’t at their best and scored just 18 goals in the 10 games, fewer than the other two big sides, but that was perhaps understandable with the qualification campaign coming off the back of the disappointing end to Euro 2016. Ultimately, they got the job done in challenging circumstances.
Best players for France: Who should you be betting on?
France have genuine quality all over the pitch and look to have a real balance. Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti are a formidable defensive pairing, with N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba two great midfield options. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele provide the speed and excitement with Olivier Giroud a good focal point. Yet, if one man is going to fire France to World Cup glory it’s sure to be Antoine Griezmann.
The Atletico Madrid forward has established himself as one of the most lethal finishers in Europe, highlighting that class in Spain and on the international stage over the years. The way France play allows him to roam and find great positions and he is very clever in his movement and sharp in front of goal.
You can get 2/1 on Griezmann to be France’s top scorer in Russia and that looks like a great bet given his importance to the side. As well as that, the 12/1 with William Hill on him to be top scorer at the tournament appeals. He will score goals and we are predicting France to make the semi-finals, which would also bring a third and fourth place play-off at worst, so he will play as many games as anyone at the tournament.
Griezmann top France scorer – 2/1
Griezmann top World Cup scorer – 12/1
Best Odds Available at William Hill
Who manages France?
We’ve briefly touched upon the manager – Didier Deschamps. He is a favourite in the country because of his starring role in the ’98 cup final and he also had a spell with Chelsea that English fans may remember. Since retiring he has managed Monaco, Juventus and Marseille, three very important sides, so clearly has pedigree as a coach as well.
He also had success in those jobs, guiding Monaco to a Champions League final, taking Juve back to Serie A and winning a league with Marseille. After leaving Marseille, he took the French national team job in 2012, with the World Cup in 2014 his first major tournament.
A quarter-final exit to eventual winners Germany was understandable if frustrating. Two years later, they hosted Euro 2016 and were one of the favourites, but lost out in the final to Portugal. However, he didn’t do a bad job, but will be expected to reach the latter stages in Russia in what could well be his last tournament.
Why bet on France?
Quite simply because they have quality in abundance. All over the pitch they have pace, power and quality in reserve, which makes their squad one of the most dangerous to go to Russia. Also, there are few clear weaknesses which is always a good sign for the manager.
The group has been favourable and a pathway to the semi-final looks nice. Now though, it’s down to the players to deliver with someone needing to step up like Zidane did in ’98 to fire France to World Cup glory.
Top 3 World Cup Bookies
