📊 Club World Cup: the French players' hits and misses in group stage

📊 Club World Cup: the French players' hits and misses in group stage Who shone? Who disappointed? On Friday night, France wrapped up their 2026 World Cup group stage with a big win over Norway (4-1). After these three matches, and what looks like the best group-stage campaign in France’s World Cup history, it’s time for a first assessment. The Tops Kylian Mbappé: It’s hard to start with anyone else. Just like in 2018, just like in 2022, the France captain showed up when it mattered — and in some style. With four goals and two assists, he is quite simply France’s most decisive player. On top of that, he has become the second-highest scorer in World Cup history and continues to chase Lionel Messi. Ousmane Dembélé: Even after the first group-stage match against Senegal, doubts remained about the Ballon d'Or winner’s ability to shine for Les Bleus. He swept them away in the space of two games. Determined and on the scoresheet against Iraq, Dembélé grew in confidence before producing a masterclass against Norway. The best match of his career for France, with the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history. Michael Olise: A real spark plug in this team, the Bayern man keeps delighting with his blend of elegance and efficiency in every situation. Leading France’s fightback against Senegal, Olise already has three assists in the tournament, and his high-speed connection with Kylian Mbappé already looks hugely promising. Dayot Upamecano: He is the boss of the defense. Following on from his superb season with Bayern Munich, the center-back looks unbeatable. Excellent in buildup play, flawless at putting out fires, and always giving off that sense of power in duels, Dayot Upamecano is enjoying an outstanding tournament so far. The midfield: It’s hard not to lump Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné together. The three have rotated perfectly, to the point that the staff have been able to pair every possible combination. If they keep performing at this level in the counter-press and on the ball, they won’t leave anything but scraps for the other midfielders. The Flops Théo Hernandez:  What a difficult group stage it was for the former AC Milan man. Beaten all too easily by Ibrahim Mbaye against Senegal, then at fault against Norway after conceding a penalty, the left-back is not reassuring at all. Behind him, Lucas Digne is pushing and currently looks like the more reliable option. It would take a brave man to say which of the two left-backs will start the next match. Jules Koundé: Unfortunately for him, he delivered the worst performance by a French player at this World Cup. His first half against Senegal was painful to watch, despite some improvement after the break. Picked again against Iraq and Norway, Jules Koundé hasn’t produced any memorable displays, but above all he seems to be struggling physically, reflecting a season at Barça disrupted by injuries. Rayan Cherki: Big expectations rest on Rayan Cherki’s shoulders. Limited to the role of a luxury substitute off the bench, he still needs to do more. His cameos have been more frustrating than anything else, and in particular he has sometimes looked a bit too casual and lightweight in certain situations. Nothing alarming, and of course his style on the ball is part of his charm, but a little more impact is expected from him. Désiré Doué: His group stage has not exactly been a flop. But for now, he is losing his battle with Bradley Barcola. More incisive and more clinical, the former Lyon man has so far turned in better performances than the former Rennes player. Everything can still change, but Désiré Doué has the ability to be more influential for Les Bleus than he has shown so far. So, who would you have put in your Tops and Flops? Tell us everything in the comments! This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.