Why is France struggling before the 2026 World Cup?

France is struggling due to Didier Deschamps' reliance on fading veterans and stale tactics. The team remains stuck in a cycle of defensive pragmatism instead of integrating high-energy tactical pivots like other nations. This lack of evolution is setting them up for a potential early exit.

What is the main issue with the French midfield?

The French midfield lacks a creative heartbeat and a reliable pivot to control the game. Without a creative number 10, the team bypasses the middle to hit long balls toward Kylian Mbappe, relying heavily on transition play rather than cohesive passing.

How does France compare to other European national teams?

Unlike the fluid movement seen in the German and Spanish squads, France prioritizes keeping a clean sheet over dismantling opponents. While other teams embrace risk and test new tactical shapes, France maintains a rigid defensive style that struggles against low-block setups.

What formation is Didier Deschamps stubbornly using?

Didier Deschamps continues to stubbornly stick to a 4-2-3-1 formation despite its recent tactical failures. This rigid setup lacks a secondary plan when trailing and relies heavily on older legacy players like Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud.

Who are the key players being relied upon too much?

The French squad relies too heavily on legacy players who are past their prime, including N'Golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud. This conservative approach keeps younger prospects rotting on the bench instead of building a dynamic team for the future.

Didier Deschamps is repeating his 2018 mistakes with this French squad

The stale comfort of the Deschamps era

We are exactly one month out from the 2026 World Cup, and looking at the France side in the Nations League feels like watching a rerun of a show that ended three seasons ago. Didier Deschamps has spent the last decade building a fortress, but the mortar is cracking. While other nations are integrating high-energy tactical pivots, France remains stuck in a cycle of defensive pragmatism that feels increasingly archaic.

Remember the 2022 final against Argentina? That disaster in the first 70 minutes wasn't just a bad day at the office. It was a tactical failure that The Guardian rightly identified as a total lack of midfield control. Fast forward to this Nations League window, and we are seeing the same reliance on individual moments of brilliance rather than a cohesive system.

The midfield vacuum

The biggest issue is the lack of a creative heartbeat. Without a reliable pivot, the team is forced to bypass the middle entirely, hitting long balls toward Kylian Mbappe or relying on transition play. This approach worked when N'Golo Kante was at his absolute peak in 2018, but expecting a player of his current age to cover that much grass for seven matches in a tournament is a dream, not a plan.

Deschamps seems allergic to playing a creative #10 who isn't shackled by defensive duties. Young prospects in Ligue 1 are rotting on the bench or being ignored in favor of veteran squad players who offer nothing going forward. It is the same conservative bias that saw France struggle against low-block teams in the 2024 Euros. If the opposition sits deep and denies space for counter-attacks, this squad looks completely lost.

Tactical stagnation

There is a stubborn refusal to evolve. International football moves fast, yet France is currently playing a style that prioritizes keeping a clean sheet over dismantling an opponent. We saw this in the recent draw against Belgium, where the team managed just 42% possession despite having superior individual talent across every line.

Compare this to the fluid movement of the German or Spanish sides. They are rotating squads, testing new tactical shapes, and embracing risk. Deschamps, conversely, is sticking to his 4-2-3-1 like it is a security blanket. It is the tactical equivalent of parking a luxury sports car in the garage for a decade because you are afraid of scratching the paint.

The looming drop-off

The Nations League should be a laboratory for tactical experimentation. Instead, it is being used to coddle legacy players who have clearly passed their prime. If a player like Antoine Griezmann or Olivier Giroud is still the first name on the team sheet in the 89th minute of a high-stakes group game, the manager is not building for the future; he is protecting his own legacy.

Defensive rigidity killing creative flow
Over-reliance on veteran players past their peak
Lack of a clear Plan B when trailing

The lack of a secondary formation is alarming. If this team falls behind in a World Cup knockout game, there is no evidence that they can shift gears without becoming defensively suicidal. We saw the fallout from similar tactical rigidity during the Euro 2024 campaign, where the team looked disjointed and predictable. Deschamps has the best player pool on the planet, but he is currently coaching with one hand tied behind his back.

If France crashes out of the World Cup, nobody should be surprised. Winning tournaments requires adaptation, and this squad is currently as static as it gets. Unless there is a massive shift in philosophy over the next four weeks, we are looking at a quarter-final exit at best. The talent is there, but the vision has long since evaporated.