Deschamps Doesn't See France as World Cup Favorites

Didier Deschamps, the French national team coach, previewed France's World Cup opener against Senegal on Monday. The match is scheduled for tomorrow at 9 PM at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente has consistently tipped the World Cup runners-up as the main favorites to win the tournament, but Deschamps returned the compliment. "If there's one team with greater favoritism, it's Spain, even if France legitimately harbors ambitions of winning this title. But it will be a long road. France has high-level potential, even with a renewed squad. I won't consider the French team stronger than the others, but the clear favorite is Spain. In fact, I have no doubts about that," he stated in a press conference.

The collective memory of the football world still recalls the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, when the then-reigning world and European champions, France, lost their initial game to tomorrow's opponent, Senegal. At that time, the former midfielder had already hung up his boots, but some of his former teammates, such as Marcel Desailly and Emmanuel Petit, were still part of the French squad. Deschamps attributes the biggest misstep then to the overconfidence with which they approached the match. "Each World Cup has its own story, and we have to ensure this one is as beautiful as possible. Obviously, as France, we have a certain status, and there's a lot of expectation around us. But we need to show respect and humility from the start. Before thinking about the mountaintop, we need to take the journey gradually, and the first steps are always the hardest," he outlined as a general approach to the game.

Deschamps acknowledged that there's immense individual talent among the selected players for Les Bleus, but he insists that individual egos should not even approach the locker room door: "You don't come to the French national team to receive; you come to give."

With Mbappé absent from the press conference, N'Golo Kanté spoke on behalf of the squad, and the midfielder largely agreed with Deschamps. "The coach is absolutely right. When we wear this jersey, our role is to serve the collective. It doesn't matter what we do or the status we have at our clubs; here, we have to leave our ego at the door and be ready to run for each other," declared the midfielder, known for his tireless work rate on the pitch.