Four teams, 4 plans, 1 result: How France keep winning at this FIFA World Cup

4 min readJul 11, 2026 06:00 AM IST

France's Kylian Mbappe (10) and teammates celebrate after winning the World Cup quarterfinal football match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, near Boston. (AP Photo)

France’s clash against Morocco was billed as the game of the quarterfinals. One that put a congregation of attacking talent that the French have pieced together against Morocco’s unending stamina. Instead, Boston, in its final game of the World Cup, witnessed yet another canter by the French to the finish line. It has been the story of this World Cup – different teams attempting their own spin in solving the French puzzle – each has failed at varying degrees.

Senegal show glimpses

The only sustained period of trouble that the French have faced in the tournament so far has been the first half of their opener against Senegal. The defending African Cup of Nations champions were incredibly organised and keen on physically imposing themselves on the French front four. They didn’t cede the possession battle to Didier Deschamps’ men and were competing on a level footing. But it all changed when Michael Olise switched from the right wing to the centre of the pitch and the devastating two-way combination between him and Mbappe – one that has defined this tournament in its deadliness – took over in the second half. The combined distance of over 120 kms run by the French that day was by far the most they’ve had at this World Cup: a testament to how Senegal made the champion contenders sweat.

Sweden crumble easily

Perhaps the easiest game the French have had at this World Cup came from the Swedes, who were left in awe of the devastating nature of France’s attack. The number that defined their lack of any game plan to counter the French top 4 – 202 ball receptions in the final third of the Swedish half. Sweden gave up on keeping the ball; they gave up on defending it when it reached their quarter of the pitch. And eventually they gave up three unanswered goals.

Paraguay’s physicality

Paraguay only kept 22% possession. They had no shots on target and made under 200 passes in 90 minutes of football. But they are the one team that French truly struggled to score against and failed to put up an open-play goal against. Most of it was down to rigid lines of midfield and defence that didn’t allow the French midfield to operate with the room they prefer. They were the first team at this World Cup to shut Olise down and deny him the space to roam. What Paraguay did to add to their block was to rough up the French. In true South American style, they nipped at Mbappe and Olise, constantly whipping together small fouls and never letting their attack gain any momentum. Playing on equal footing was never an option, and so the South Americans tried their best to take the game into extra time and kept a dogged blockade that led to only five shots on target against them, and it was a Mbappe penalty that finally broke their backs. A tough watch, but possibly the best response to the searing attacking quartet of the French.

Morocco’s runners

Morocco’s industrious running was supposed to make this clash the match of the quarterfinals. Instead, the French never had to worry. The Moroccans had to make key changes to their personnel, which forced them not to play to their optimum. They missed out on a true offensive threat, and Brahim Diaz alone was not enough to ask questions of the French. With those limitations, the Moroccans passed more than the French and kept the ball more than their opponents. They had their midfield block set up to play perfectly behind Olise, but after Mbappe created a goal out of thin air, the wind was knocked out of their sails. The discipline they had shown in keeping Olise quiet faded, and the French found their second quickly through Ousmane Dembele. Offensively, Morocco had nothing going for them, hitting only one solitary shot on target. Ultimately, it was what came in between what could have been a far closer tie.