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World Cup: Deschamps urges France to show 'humility' as Les Bleus begin knockouts

After a flawless group stage, France face Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday night, with Didier Deschamps insisting there is "no joker" as Les Bleus begin their pursuit of a third FIFA World Cup title.
G.BOXALL
Published on 06/29/2026 at 21:00
2-minute read
After a flawless group stage, France face Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday night, with Didier Deschamps insisting there is "no joker" as Les Bleus begin their pursuit of a third FIFA World Cup title.

France could hardly have made a stronger start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Three wins from three, 10 goals scored and top spot in Group I have reinforced Les Bleus' status as one of the tournament favourites.

But with the knockout stages beginning, Didier Deschamps has warned against complacency despite his side's impressive form.

"We've reset the counters to zero," the France coach said on Monday. "We took nine points but that doesn't give us any bonus. Sweden can cause us problems. We have confidence, but not overconfidence. The quality of the opposition is only going to increase."

Deschamps also confirmed that Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram will miss the tie through injury, while N'Golo Kanté remains a doubt. "Marcus won't be available because of a small muscle problem. For NG, it's not muscular, but it's likely to be too soon."

Rabiot: "We are taking this match very seriously"

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé arrives full of confidence after his hat-trick against Norway, while fellow Ligue 1 McDonald's representative Désiré Doué is competing with Bradley Barcola for a place alongside Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise in attack.

Deschamps praised the competition for places between the two young attackers, insisting either can make the difference.

"Their profiles bring danger in different ways," he explained. "One of them will start, but I want the one who comes on to be just as good."

Adrien Rabiot also dismissed any suggestion France are looking beyond Sweden. "They have very good players, especially in attack, players with world-class quality who play for big clubs," the midfielder said. "We're taking this match very seriously. It's a knockout game, anything can happen."

The AC Milan midfielder also provided an update on Arsenal defender William Saliba, who has been managing a back issue throughout the tournament.

"He's dealing with quite a lot of pain," Rabiot admitted. "He's focused on the matches and has been very reassuring whenever he's played. He's an essential part of our team."

France have won four of their last five meetings with Sweden and will be looking to continue that record as they seek a place in the Round of 16, where Germany or Paraguay await.

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>> World Cup: Five standout Ligue 1 player performances during MD3

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