Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas has named Spain as the team that will stop France from winning the 2026 World Cup, despite describing the French side as 'very scary'. France, who are two-time winners and current tournament favourites, face Morocco in the quarter-finals on Thursday night.
France's dominant run
Didier Deschamps' side have been the standout team of the tournament so far. They topped Group I with emphatic wins over Senegal, Iraq and Norway, scoring ten goals in the group stage. In the round of 16, they beat Sweden 3-0 before overcoming a tricky Paraguay side in the last 16, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a second-half penalty to send the 2018 champions through. Mbappe is joint-top scorer at the tournament.
Jenas backs Spain
Speaking to 10bet, Jenas said: 'France are scary, I know that. They're very scary. When it comes to stopping France, it's tough because I look at Spain and they're starting to kind of click into gear now.' He added: 'I said Spain at the start, so I'm going to stick to Spain. Spain are still better going forward than they are defensively, whereas France does have the complete package, and are fully in flow. I'm going to stick with Spain because that's what I said. But I have to say, I've really enjoyed watching France play.'
Spain, the European champions, face Belgium in their quarter-final tie on Friday. Jenas believes Luis de la Fuente's side will advance and ultimately win the World Cup.
Desailly backs France
In contrast, former France defender Marcel Desailly, who helped France win their first World Cup in 1998, believes a third title is coming. Speaking to Sportscasting, Desailly said: 'The impression that we have now, it's a big yes. Who is going to stop France? The impression that England have given the fans watching is underwhelming. Germany were poor and have been eliminated. A massive under-performance. Brazil is growing. But today it is France who is showing great ability.'
Desailly added: 'France have been the "wow" team at the tournament so far – they've looked much better than the rest. Now, they will play Paraguay, and there is no fear at all. It will end up 3-0 or 4-0. The stats will completely explode and confidence will be at its peak. If there are no injuries, France is going to win the World Cup. I have no doubt about it.'
Quarter-final lineup
England face Norway in the third World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, while World Cup holders Argentina take on Switzerland. Morocco have impressed in recent major tournaments, controversially winning the recent AFCON, but France will expect to progress to the semi-finals, where they could face Spain if both teams win.
