Paul Pogba: "The strongest team since 2006" – about the French squad for the 2026 World Cup

 France, considered one of the main favorites to win the World Champion title, remains a team whose true level is difficult to assess. While the individual players in the squad are undoubtedly among the best in the world, their collective performances sometimes reveal weaknesses that can be exploited by opponents and prove costly for Didier Deschamps' team. Paul Pogba, who won the World Cup with the same team eight years ago, is not worried, however. On the contrary, he considers the current team to be the best version of Les Bleus in 20 years. “This could be the strongest team since 2006, considering all the talent we have,” the midfielder told L’Équipe. "I think this is an even better team than in 2022 and 2018 in terms of individual quality. But this is the World Cup: not only talent will matter. We all know that this is one of the strongest nations, considering the season the players have had and the fact that the Ballon d'Or winner is French." This status brings "additional pressure" for the AS Monaco player, who does not hide his interest in Portugal, Spain and Brazil. Nevertheless, if the French team is indeed as strong as it was in 2006, there is every reason to believe that they will once again be among the favorites to play a leading role at this World Cup. The good news is that this time they are unlikely to face Italian opponents who have been their nightmare.