French team – World draw 2022 / Didier Deschamps, often varnished in the draw… but not always

2014 World Cup: A miraculous first

The opponents : Switzerland – Ecuador – Honduras

For its first major competition with Didier Deschamps at its head, the France team is only 21st in the FIFA rankings at the time of the draw for the Brazilian World Cup. The tricolor selection is therefore in “hat 4” with the non-seeded European nations. And that’s the jackpot.

While the Blues may fear finding themselves in the pool of Brazil, host country, Spain world champion and double European champion in title or even Germany, it is ultimately the most affordable Swiss that the French DD find themselves as in 2006, with the added bonus of Ecuador and Honduras, opponent a priori the weakest of the 32 nations of the final grid. For a first, Deschamps obtained a draw not far from being the most ideal possible. The tension of the play-off to go against Ukraine three weeks earlier already seems (far) far away.

What he said at the time : “Let’s be realistic, we could have inherited a more complicated draw. This draw simply gives us good hopes and more possibilities to achieve our sporting objective: to qualify for the round of 16..” (in an interview with L’Equipe)

The results : A big opening victory against the Hondurans (3-0), a demonstration against Switzerland (5-2) and a last purring match against Ecuador (0-0) with the first place in the group already assured. A course of health, and the objective of the eighth achieved.

Euro 2016: Welcome home

The opponents : Switzerland – Romania – Albania

After three very mediocre last Euros, France is an ambitious host country in 2016. A new generation is in place, led by Antoine Griezmann in attack, and can dream big. The band at Deschamps can even dream even bigger after a new ideal draw. For this first Euro at 24, the Blues avoid Italy, scarecrow of hat 2, and find Switzerland as at the World Cup two years earlier.

Added to this are Romania and Albania, opponents to watch out for having posed recent problems for the tricolor (1-1 draw at the end of 2014, and a pitiful 1-0 defeat in Tirana in 2015). While Karim Benzema is at the start of his sidelining with the national team for extra-sporting matters, Didier Deschamps does not want to ignite after a second consecutive favorable draw for him with the Blues.

What he said at the time : “So it can always be worse, but sometimes it can be better too. So, yes, it could have been worse, that’s true. But we breeders are always measured. There are always surprising results that follow draws. So let’s stay suspicious, let’s not be overconfident.”

The results : Two first successes acquired in the snatch against Romania in the opening (2-1) and against the tricky Albania (2-0), before a last rotation match against Switzerland (0-0), for two teams which are content with nothing. The strong man of this group stage is called Dimitri Payet on the French side.

World Cup 2018 – More ambitious Blues avoid pitfalls

The opponents : Peru – Denmark – Australia

For the World Cup in Russia, the Blues vice-champions of Europe are narrowly in hat 1 of the seeds thanks to their 7th place in the FIFA rankings, and know that they have taken on another dimension. Deschamps’ team avoids Spain or England in hat 2 to inherit Peru, admittedly 10th in the world rankings but little known to the French and especially without any real recent experience of such an event (first World Cup in 36 years ).

Australia completes this group C, just like Denmark, opponent a priori the toughest of the three, and that the Blues find from the group stage as in 1998 and 2002. On paper, the France team inherits again from a group with no apparent trap, but whose cumulative FIFA ranking makes them the 2nd best of the whole field. Not enough to reduce the ambitions of the tricolor, starting with those of Deschamps who is already putting a potential round of 16 in the line of sight.

What he said at the time : “It could have been worse, of course. The objective is to come out first, without projecting too far. I know which group can concern us if we pass (nldr: that of Argentina). We will go step by step. We will have to meet the strongest at some point, we have a lot of ambition.”

The results : A first success without relief against Australia (2-1), a solid victory against catchy Peruvians (1-0), before a non-match of historic boredom against Denmark (0-0). The main thing is elsewhere, the Blues finish first in their group. History is on.

Euro 2020 – Luck has (well) turned

The opponents : Germany – Portugal – Hungary (then named “winner play-off A”)

Curiosity of the organization of the draw for this Euro: the Blues, vice-champions of Europe and reigning world champions, are not seeded. Only 7th in the “general classification of qualifications for the Euro” (the fault in particular of their defeat in Turkey 2-0) which determines the seeds of the competition, Deschamps’ men are placed in hat 2, and this time it is an understatement to say that luck does not smile on them.

Put with Germany and Portugal, they find their executioners of 2014 and 2016, in a group F which panics all of Europe as soon as it is announced. The presence of the winner of a play-off A, namely Hungary or Iceland, is almost anecdotal: the last two world champions and the reigning European champion are in the same group, more than ever bearing the label of “group of death”. The presumed luck of Deschamps has changed sides this time around.

What he said at the time : “It’s the most difficult group but we have to accept it. Playing Germany first in Munich, there is necessarily better but that’s how it is. You have to perform right away. Each point in each match will be very important to think about after.“

The results : Postponed by a year, Euro 2020 in 2021, which is being played all over Europe, is off to a wonderful start for the Blues, with a success worthy of a world champion team on the German lawn (1-0). It’s more difficult then, with an almost happy draw against Hungary (1-1), before a spectacular draw against Portugal (2-2). The Blues, undefeated in this “group of death”, finish first with 5 points. The unfortunate sequel is (almost) unpredictable.