According to Le Figaro, Wenger, the former Arsenal coach and now FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, believes that the French team will lift their third FIFA World Cup trophy this summer.
In a few hours, global attention will turn to Mexico City and the Azteca Stadium, where the 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off. With the tournament approaching, the 76-year-old Wenger is still as excited as a child. As FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, Wenger is also one of the core members of this FIFA World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Hours before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, which is at 3 AM Beijing time (CEST) on Friday, former Arsenal legendary coach Wenger shared his expectations for the tournament with Le Figaro on Wednesday. Wenger is optimistic about this FIFA World Cup. He believes that despite the anxious global atmosphere, the FIFA World Cup still has the ability to bring "a certain international collective sense of happiness," even though various controversies have been discussed in recent days. He supports the tournament's first expansion to 48 teams but also raises questions about the "gap" between teams in the group stage. In his view, the first round might see "European civil wars," and the biggest favorite is undoubtedly France.
"I rank them above other teams. France has too much talent, and Deschamps is experienced. We have too many attacking players, and the hidden danger is that the attack might be a bit unbalanced. However, modern players, even attacking players, know what they need to do defensively. ... If you're playing against France and it's still 0-0 after 20 minutes, you're going to lose the game. Physical confrontation will decide the winner."
Among those who can turn the tide for France, captain Mbappe is naturally the most watched name. Wenger has no doubt that the striker will perform at a high level in this tournament.
"I'm willing to bet he'll have a very great FIFA World Cup. He's often been unfairly criticized this season, and the Real Madrid team he joined wasn't excellent. ... Mbappe is in good physical condition and not under too much pressure. People often forget his extraordinary talent."