World Cup: Didier Deschamps snubs France, names favourites for final

France head coach, Didier Deschamps, has described Spain as the clear favourites to progress to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Les Bleus are set to face La Roja in the first semi-final on Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas Stadium.

Didier Deschamps has stated that Spain is the clear favorite against his team, emphasizing their impressive goal-scoring record. He also noted that Luis de la Fuente’s squad has conceded only one goal thus far. 

He said, as cited by Fabrizio Romano, “Spain are clear favorites, without a doubt. I’m not putting pressure on them. Scoring a lot, only one goal conceded… they’re favorites”.

France is generally considered the favorite to win the 2026 tournament and has performed exceptionally well throughout the competition. 

With a star-studded attack led by Kylian Mbappe, Les Bleus have netted 16 goals while conceding just two. In contrast, Spain has scored 11 goals and allowed only one.

Historically, France finds itself at a disadvantage when examining the all-time head-to-head record between these two European powerhouses. The two nations have faced each other 38 times, with Les Bleus suffering 18 defeats and securing 13 victories.

Luis de la Fuente has triumphed over Didier Deschamps in their last two encounters, specifically in the 2024 UEFA European Championship semi-final and the 2025 UEFA Nations League semi-final.