France face Norway on Friday at Boston to complete their 2026 World Cup group stage. Les Bleus are currently on top of the group I, and they only need a draw against Erling Haaland and his mates to win their group following back-to-back wins against Senegal (3-1) and Iraq (3-0). Les Bleus are expected to make some changes with the introductions of Malo Gusto and Maxence Lacroix. Adrien Rabiot and Bradley Barcola could be given a breather.

Should they win their 2026 World Cup group, France will face a third-placed team in the Round of 32, but they would be on a collision course with four-time winners Germany as early as the Round of 16. However, France’s assistant manager Guy Stéphan is adamant that Les Bleus need to secure first place in Group I. “Didier and the whole team want to finish first. First place is the best”, said Stéphan, who fills in for Deschamps as the latter returned to his homeland to attend his mother’s funeral on Friday.

Indeed, should they win their group, France will play their R032 tie – and their potential R016 and quarter-fina – on America’s eastern seaboard, where their Boston base camp is located. But should they slip to second place, France will have to make a long trip to Dallas for their R032 tie. “Logistics-wise, it’s a completely different story. Travel time is much longer if we finish second, with the added factor of schedules and heat”, Stéphan adds.