For much of this summer’s World Cup, France and its fearsome forward line seemed destined for the crown.
Up until Spain’s watertight defense nullified Didier Deschamps’s myriad of attacking weapons, Les Bleus were the runaway favorites for a third world title. While defeat at the semifinal stage stings, it can’t fully detract from the frightening performances of Kylian Mbappé and Co. en route to the final four.
France had scored 16 goals in six matches up until blanking against Spain, with all of those strikes shared exclusively among its forwards.
Mbappé was joined on the scoresheet by the Paris Saint-Germain trio of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué, while Michael Olise, despite not scoring himself, was the man pulling all the strings to supply the quartet.
But which of France’s attacking stars shone brightest this summer?
5. Désiré Doué
Matches: 7
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
After Hugo Ekitiké’s long-term injury toward the end of last season, Doué knew clubmate Barcola was the only realistic competitor for France’s left wing role. The 21-year-old won the race initially, starting against Senegal in the group stage opener, but quickly found himself in and out of Deschamps’s XI.
A fairly anonymous performance in the Senegal game didn’t help his cause, especially as Barcola rose from the bench to impress, and he dropped to the bench for the demolition of Iraq. Doué did, however, open his account in the thrashing of a rotated Norway team, heading home his first-ever World Cup goal in the dying embers.
That strike did little to convince Deschamps, though, and Doué started just one of France’s three knockout games. Having won the crucial penalty against Paraguay, he was chucked into the XI against Morocco and impressed with his general performance and assist for Dembélé.
Doué was terrific when called upon this summer, but Deschamps’s decision to frequently rotate the youngster slightly stunted his progress.
4. Bradley Barcola
Matches: 7
Goals: 2
Assists: 1
Barcola finds himself in a similar position to Doué. The PSG winger often dazzled when featuring at the tournament, especially in the earlier matches, but struggled to consistently find an elite level due to his unpredictable minutes.
Things couldn’t have started better for Barcola, who scored a deft dink just two minutes after coming on against Senegal and then started the win over Iraq. Despite being benched against Norway, he still delivered an assist from the bench for Doué and then found the net against Sweden with a stylish strike.
That was then end of Barcola’s goal involvements as France was pushed harder and harder in the knockout phase, but he remained an essential cog in the machine with his direct running in behind and ability to weave in and out of opposition defenders.
Amid significant transfer interest from Premier League behemoths, Barcola has further enhanced his already glowing reputation.
3. Ousmane Dembélé
Matches: 7
Goals: 5
Assists: 2
The Ballon d’Or winner, two-time European champion and member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad had never found the net during previous tournaments. There was a fear that Dembélé, despite his exceptional club form, would once again stumble on the international stage, especially after blanking against Senegal.
However, this version of Dembélé is different and would soon silence any doubters. A goal and assist against Iraq was followed by an emphatic hat trick in the group stage finale with Norway, during which the PSG dynamo scored thrice despite managing an expected goals total of just 0.29. This was Dembélé at his clinical best.
The good times continued to roll as an assist against Sweden was added to by another ruthless finish in the quarterfinal win over Morocco. Dembélé was proving unstoppable, both in front of goal and when dancing past defenders deep in enemy territory.
Spain managed to stifle the 29-year-old, whose two-footedness and trickery had stumped those before La Roja, but Dembélé still enjoyed an excellent tournament.
2. Michael Olise
Matches: 7
Goals: 0
Assists: 5
Bayern Munich have benefitted from Olise’s creative genius for the past two seasons, with 46 assists produced across across all competitions. Therefore, it was little surprise to see the attacking midfielder’s wizardry translate to the international stage.
Olise still awaits his first World Cup goal, but his contributions for Les Bleus were vital this summer. The 24-year-old Ballon d’Or contender conjured five assists for his compatriots, showcasing his remarkable vision and passing range at every opportunity.
An utterly delightful through ball for Mbappé set up France’s first goal of the tournament, while another incisive pass between opposition defenders teed up Dembélé the following game. The clash with Sweden offered the clearest view of his brilliance as he assisted Barcola and Mbappé with passes few others would see, let alone manage to execute.
At the end of an astonishing, treble-winning season with Bayern, this was another reminder of why Olise now ranks among the world’s best.
1. Kylian Mbappé
