The France team will face Denmark, Tunisia and an upcoming qualifier this winter in Qatar.
The France team is finally fixed. The draw held this Friday at the Doha Convention Center lifted the veil on what awaits the world champions in Qatar in the first round of the 2022 World Cup (November 21-December 18). With confrontations against the winner of the match between Peru-United Arab Emirates or Australia as well as Denmark and Tunisia, the draw was very lenient for the French.
A mild draw and still an unknown
Didier Deschamps was smiling on Friday evening when he “returned” the World Cup trophy just before the start of the ceremony. And the coach of the Blues has not necessarily lost it with regard to the program which awaits its Blues for their entry into the running in World Cup which they will approach with the label of big favorites. The competition will begin on Tuesday, November 22 (Al Rayyan stadium) against the winner of the play-off between Peru and the United Arab Emirates or Australia. On this point, doubt will be lifted in mid-June as to the identity of the first opponent of Kylian Mbappé’s partners. Subsequently, they will find an old acquaintance with Denmark (Saturday, November 26), which they will have faced twice before the World Cup, in June and September, as part of the League of Nations. The toughest match of this first round, on paper, played on the lawn of the Lusail stadium, a jewel of 80,000 seats which will notably host the final of this World Cup. Finally Tunisia (Wednesday, November 30, Al Rayyan) will present itself at the end of a largely affordable introduction to the defending champions. ” You should never brag before, I have a little experience, even if on paper you can appear favorite “, concedes, cautious but in no way frightened, the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët, present in Doha.
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A table open until the quarter-finals for the Blues?
In its quest to rise to the top of the world again on December 18 in Doha, the France team could have inherited a much more delicate appetizer. But for Didier Deschamps, who knows better than anyone the difficulty of assuming a planetary title, it is forbidden to give in to any excitement. Especially not the kind of house and character. ” You have to have a lot of respect “, he breathes about Denmark, semi-finalist of the last Euro and 11e nation in the FIFA rankings. As for the superstition which recalls that France was world champion when it was in the Denmark group, in 1998 and in 2018, “ don’t tell them “, joked “DD”. In 2002 also France was in the group of Denmark, it had lost (2-0) and was eliminated in the first round. If we look beyond the first round, in the event of qualification for first place, the Blues of Paul Pogba would find the second in group C (Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland) before potentially challenging in the quarter of final England or Senegal / Netherlands and why not consider a semi-final against Belgium, as in 2018 in Russia. Fictional football today.
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An enticing Spain-Germany and an explosive United States-Iran
In the other groups of this first round, Qatar, the first Arab country to organize a World Cup, inherited Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands in group A. A qualification for the round of 16 of the 51e nation in the Fifa ranking would be a huge feat. No traditional “group of death”, but tempting posters to follow, especially in group E with Germany, Spain and Japan (as well as a qualified) or in pool B with clashes which goes far beyond the framework of football between the United States and Iran. Two nations which maintain execrable relations and have already faced each other in the World Cup, in 1998 in France, and Iran won 2-1. During this meeting, the two teams had posed together for a historic photo. England, finalist of the last Euro, and the winner of the dam between Wales and Scotland or Ukraine, complete the picture with a tasty first round in this part of the table. For its part, Brazil, record holder of victories with five trophies (the last 20 years ago), will have to be wary of Serbia of Dusan Vlahovic, who had beaten Portugal in qualifying, and Switzerland, in the group G. As a reminder, only 29 of the 32 participating countries are currently known, seven months before the start of a World Cup. See you on November 28 for a World Cup (really) like no other.
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