Paul Pogba Issues Ominous France Warning Ahead of World Cup Opener
The 2026 FIFAWorld Cup got off to a hot start on Thursday. Mexico walked away with a 2-0 win over South Africa in front of a packed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. And hours later, South Korea edged out Czechia 2-1, coming back from a 1-0 deficit with two late goals in the 67th and 80th minutes.
A record three red cards were dished out in the Mexico vs. South Africa opener, and the Taegeuk Warriors delivered a late surge in was a chaotic start to the World Cup. With 48 teams, 104 matches, and 39 days of soccer spread across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, this year’s tournament is going to be the biggest in history, and Thursday’s matchups met with the right energy.
But while the host nation was busy stealing the headlines on the field, a former World Cup winner delivered a bold take on his former team.
Paul Pogba, France‘s former star midfielder who won the World Cup in 2018 with Les Bleus, sat down with ESPN and confidently said that this 2026 France squad is even better than the one that won the tournament eight years ago.
“For me, as players, talent and everything, I think they’re better than us,” Pogba said. “Yeah, I think they’re better than us. But then, obviously, hopefully, that will make them win the World Cup.”
“I think everybody sees them as favourites … They have probably the best players in the world. But obviously, that is not enough to win a World Cup, and there is more pressure on them,” Pogba added.
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Only four members of that title winning group remain, captain Kylian Mbappe, now 27 and firmly in the prime of his career, 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, PSG defender Lucas Hernandez, and star midfielder N’Golo Kante.
Everyone else, notably Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Benjamin Pavard, Presnel Kimpembe, and Raphael Varane, are gone.
This Les Bleus squad features 13 players who have never played at the World Cup before, including all three of their goalkeepers.
They’ve got some exciting younger players, including Barcelona defender Jules Koundé, PSG forward Bradley Barcola, Golden Boy winner Desire Doue, Man City winger Rayan Cherki, Bundesliga Player of the Season Michael Olise, and Arsenal’s star centerback William Saliba. But the test will be whether they can live up to the massive expectations set by the previous teams.
France are considered the odds-on favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Spain, with Argentina, England, Brazil, and Portugal rounding out the group of contenders.
France open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, before their remaining Group I matchups against Iraq on June 22 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and Norway on June 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 11:10 AM.