France Advances on Norway’s Terms, Spain Leaves More Questions

France and Spain, two of the World Cup favorites, advanced to the knockout stage, but in very different moods. France had not yet been seriously tested, while reigning European champion Spain won its group but looked far less convincing. The article argues that the tournament’s decisive phase is now beginning, with a possible France-Spain path toward a semifinal in Dallas.

France’s 4-1 win over Norway on Friday was shaped less by what Didier Deschamps’ team did than by Norway’s lineup choices. Coach Stale Solbakken made 10 changes from the side that beat Senegal earlier in the week and left Erling Haaland on the bench, effectively giving up the game and sending France to the top of the group. That decision pushed Norway toward a knockout path that could bring it against Ivory Coast and then perhaps Brazil, while France is now set to face Sweden and likely Germany afterward. Deschamps was absent from the sidelines because his mother died.

Even so, France still looked impressive, led by Ousmane Dembélé. The team has cruised through the group stage with three wins, a perfect record and a goal difference of 10-2, despite playing at what the article describes as second gear. The piece notes that France likely could have handled Norway’s strongest lineup too, pointing to Haaland’s own confidence and Kylian Mbappé’s staggering World Cup record, 14 wins in 15 starts, plus a draw in the previous final against Argentina. Mbappé has scored 4 goals and added 2 assists in the group stage.

Spain, by contrast, is described as worrying. A stumble against Cape Verde was an early warning, and while a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia looked better, Friday night’s match against Uruguay was hard to watch. Spain did only what was necessary to secure first place, but managed just one shot on target, a strike by Alex Baena that went in only thanks in part to Fernando Muslera’s error. The team remains a betting favorite alongside France, but it is far from the side that beat Germany, France and England to win Euro 2024, and it must now wake up before the knockout rounds, where it could meet Austria or Algeria next and then Ghana, Croatia or Colombia.