Five potential opponents in knockout stages for France in World Cup 2022

Les Blues are the defending champions and one of the favourites of the edition.

France are very much the heavy favourite to win the 2022 World Cup after defeating Australia 4-1 in their first match. Although injuries have plagued France, but the defending champions demonstrated their grit and mindset despite the absence of many key players. There are hardly many opponents France could face in the knockout stages and be the second favourite.

They have a 90% chance of finishing first in their group and will meet the runners-up from group B. The 2018 World Cup champions are seeded in Group D, alongside Tunisia, Switzerland, and Denmark. The following article discusses their potential candidates in the knockout stages.

Poland (Round of 16)

France have a 70% probability of reaching the quarter-finals, and their head-to-head record puts them far ahead of Poland. Out of 16 matches, the incumbent champions have won eight, Poland three, and the rest have ended in draws. They have only met once in the World Cup, in a 3-2 thrilling victory for Poland in a 1982 play-off encounter. France's team are currently unravaged, and Poland is unlikely to come to terms with this degree of proficiency; hence France should easily win.

Netherlands (Quarter-finals)

Although the quarter-finals are still up in the air, as they might meet either the Netherlands or Argentina, however, if they meet the Netherlands, their chances are slim. Their head-to-head record favours France, with 14 victories from 28 games and 11 losses. Both teams have good squads, but France are much more technical, while the Netherlands appears to toil in matches. Thus we believe France will advance to the quarter-finals.

Argentina (quarter-finals)

This will be a legitimate showdown, and it will be a close one. Argentina lost their first World Cup encounter, casting doubt on the squad's ability to face any of the competition's major opponents. Argentina leads the series with six wins to France's three in 12 games. And they've met France three times in World Cups, with Argentina winning twice in 1930 and 1978.

This will be a competitive game, and if France can attack Argentina's leaky defence while remaining strong at the back, they have a 60% chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Spain (Semi-final)

Things will get more complicated from here, as France might meet Spain in the semi-finals, and both nations have massive rosters and individual quality on the field. Spain leads France in head-to-head encounters, with 16 victories to France's 13 in 36. Although they only met once at the World Cup, France defeated Spain 3-1 in the round of 16.

Spain are undoubtedly known for their possession-based football, and France will need to be cautious and pounce on their faults since Spain lacks pacy players aside from Jordi Alba and Balde, which we can see Mbappe and Dembele exploiting from the flanks. All these reasons make Spain one of the most difficult opponents France could face in the knockout stages.

Brazil (Semi-final)   

The all-time FIFA World Cup match might be between Brazil and France, and whoever advances to the final should win the World Cup. Brazil have only won once in four World Cup meetings with France, although the head-to-head record is even, with each team winning six games out of fifteen. Yet, when comparing their squads, Brazil are far superior, but their defence is ponderous, and France will take advantage of any opportunity to expose them. Danilo and Sandro are not top-level full-backs and will struggle to contain Mbappe and Dembele.

However, Brazil will undoubtedly ensure that this encounter goes to the wire, and it remains to be seen which group has the more individual quality to reach the final. France have a better midfield defence and forwards than Brazil, as many A Selecao players are not at the elite level. If France can break through the lines, they will reach another World Cup final.