France's route to 2022 World Cup final: Who will Les Bleus face in Round of 16 and beyond? - Sporting News
France came through the 2022 World Cup group stages unscathed to finish top of Group D, and book a Round of 16 showdown against Poland.
Les Bleus' build up to Qatar 2022 was dominated by a host of injury withdrawals, with 2018 heroes N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba both sidelined, alongside 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema on the eve of the tournament.
However, Didier Deschamps' charges have shown the resilience needed from defending champions so far, with Kylian Mbappe staking his claim for the Golden Boot.
Major tests lie ahead for France if they want to retain their title from Russia 2018 — and the 1-0 defeat to Tunisia on matchday three will be a concern, albeit they rested a host of regular first-team stars — but they still look to have the confidence of champions ahead of the knockout stages.
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Round of 16: France vs Poland
France's positive reaction to their injury crisis has been crucial to them reaching the next phase of the competition in Qatar.
Deschamps is still blessed with real quality in his squad, with options to rotate and rest key players to protect Mbappe and others from the demands of tournament football.
First stop in the knockout stages is a clash with Poland at the Al Thumama Stadium on December 4 — Robert Lewandowski's side edging ahead of Mexico by the narrowest of margins to claim the runners-up spot in Group C — and France will be confident of powering on into the next stage when their big stars return from their rest.
Quarterfinals: France vs England or Senegal
As the tournament begins to heat up, France's star names will be looking to rise to the occasion, and World Cup games do not come much bigger than a potential quarterfinal against England.
England are strongly tipped to get past Senegal in their own first knockout game, and the prospect of Gareth Southgate's side against the defending champions is a daunting option for the Three Lions.
England have impressed in patches so far in Qatar, with nine goals scored in three group games, but France will be their toughest test since losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy.
Despite being age-old rivals, tournament meetings between the two nations have been few and far between, with France generally coming out on top.
Zinedine Zidane's memorable double in the Euro 2004 group stages was one of the most iconic moments of the tournament, and alongside draws at Euro 1992 and Euro 2012, England have not beaten France in a competitive game since the 1982 World Cup.
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Semifinals: France vs Croatia, Germany or Portugal
If France pass a possible test against England, their reward looks likely to be a European derby in the last four, with Croatia, Germany and Portugal all potential options.
Portugal eased themselves into the knockout stages, with a group game to spare, but Croatia and Germany are still battling and will likely need to win their final group games.
A meeting with Croatia would be a repeat of the 2018 final, with Portugal also offering a taste of the recent past for Deschamps.
Portugal secured their first major trophy by beating France in the final of Euro 2016, and Deschamps has won just one of his four competitive meetings with Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.
However, a showdown with Germany could provide the most excitement, if two of Europe's historical powerhouses face off in the Middle East.
France knocked Germany out of Euro 2016, en route to losing to Portugal in the final, but on the World Cup stage, Germany hold the edge, after ending three of France's World Cup campaigns in 1982, 1986 and 2014.
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Final: France vs Brazil, Argentina or Spain
The final, if they get there, could see France come up against the 'other side' of the knockout stage and a possible clash with South American heavyweights Brazil or Argentina, or old foes Spain.
Lionel Messi's date with destiny will be the narrative, if Argentina reach the final, and the Paris Saint-Germain superstar will have their 4-3 last-16 defeat to France from 2018 fresh in his mind.
France hold a good record against La Roja at World Cup and European Championships, but Luis Enrique's side look set to be long-term challengers for major trophies, regardless of the 2022 outcome.
Despite ending Brazil's World Cup hopes in 2006, the only game that springs to mind ahead of a possible France vs Brazil final is their infamous final showdown in 1998.
Brazilian Ronaldo's mysterious last-minute exclusion from the starting 11 disrupted Brazil in Paris and Zidane inspired France to glory at the Stade de France.
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