Picking a World Cup winner is not easy, but it is possible to plot a team’s potential knockout path. Are France the smart bet to reach the last four?

Kylian Mbappe has gone three straight matches without a goal for France, but Didier Deschamps is not concerned ahead of the World Cup. The Real Madrid forward joked that he is saving his finishing touch for the tournament, while Michael Olise stole the show with a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.

Kylian Mbappe is currently navigating the intense scrutiny that comes with being the focal point of the Real Madrid attack, a burden previously carried by club legend Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite a prolific start to life in Spain, the Frenchman has faced accusations of arrogance and claims that his presence disrupts team balance, much like the debates that once surrounded the Portuguese icon.

Real Madrid's star Kylian Mbappe has set the stage for a thrilling 2026 World Cup by making a series of bold predictions regarding the tournament's top marksmen. The France captain, who is looking to banish the memories of a painful final defeat in Qatar, has weighed in on the eternal debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi while asserting his own dominance.

Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki are reported to be displeased with a decision made by the French Football Federation.

It's so close we can almost taste it. The 2026 World Cup is now just days away, with the best players from around the globe descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for what promises to be a superb summer of football. While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in late-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for five-and-a-half weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.