Defender Maxence Lacroix assumes France’s favoritism with Dembélé in the 2026 World Cup By Maria
2 min read
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Defender Maxence Lacroix made no secret of the French team’s ambition at the 2026 World Cup. In an interview given at the training camp in Boston, the Crystal Palace defender stated that France has the best team on the planet and the best player in the world, Ousmane Dembélé.
Lacroix, who emerged as one of the surprises on Didier Deschamps’ list, spoke openly about the weight of wearing the blue shirt at a time of high expectations. The 26-year-old athlete has been on a recent upward trajectory: he entered the radar after a good performance against Brazil as a substitute and convinced himself as a starter against Colombia.
“We have to take the World Cup game by game. I believe we have a great team, but we also have good opponents. In this World Cup, we have the best player in the world and the best team”, declared the defender.
Dembélé, current winner of the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best, leads an attack full of high-level options alongside names like Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and other young talents.
Lacroix, the surprise that gained space
Called up after solid performance in the Premier League and in recent FIFA dates, Lacroix represents the depth of the French squad. He went through all of the national team’s youth categories and is now competing in his first World Cup as a professional. His presence gives Deschamps options on both the right and left sides of the defense.
The coach, however, tends to adopt a more cautious tone in public and minimizes the label of absolute favorite, remembering that only one team lifts the cup.
Preparation in the United States
France began work on the base camp at Bentley University, in Waltham, last Thursday (11). The group trained fully, with all players available, and is focusing on the debut against Senegal, on Tuesday (16), at the MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, in Group I.
After the Senegalese, Les Bleus face Iraq and Norway in the group stage. The declared objective is to move forward with morale and aim for the title, seeking the third star after 1998 and 2018 — and ending the Deschamps era at the helm with a flourish.
“It will be a beautiful adventure for us and we are ready to play”, added Lacroix, reinforcing the positive atmosphere in the dressing room.
