France hosted world leaders at the 52nd G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains to discuss global security, but on the airwaves, the nation is dominating a completely different arena: football. On The Rest Is Football, former French international Patrick Vieira confidently declared that "The team to beat is France", pointing to their defensive stability and tactical depth. Over on The Pat McAfee Show, analysts agreed, calling them "France is bar none talent on paper the best team in the tournament right now".
Not everyone is convinced they will cruise to victory, however. On The Pat McAfee Show, hosts wondered aloud if France might "lay an egg just like Spain" did. Meanwhile, Anthony Dabbundo of The Bill Simmons Podcast dissected their tactical quirks under manager Didier Deschamps, noting that while France showed an incredibly high ceiling in their last match, Deschamps' conservative style means "we like to defend, we don't like to press". Dabbundo noted that other major contenders, like Germany, would still gladly "avoid France" in the bracket if given the choice.
Beyond the pitch, France's geopolitical standing remains a hot topic. On The Bulwark Podcast, host Tim Miller shared his appreciation for America's European allies, stating, "we love the French, love Emmanuel Macron", while joking about former President Donald Trump hypothetically "signing away the war" next to Emmanuel Macron. This alliance is a far cry from Europe's bloody past, a point highlighted by Trita Parsi on The Tucker Carlson Show, who noted that the modern peace between France and Germany is a "remarkable transition" given their history of conflict.
This modern dominance in both sports and diplomacy contrasts sharply with the country's past. As Dominic Sandbrook pointed out on The Rest Is History, France was "not a big footballing nation at all" for most of the twentieth century, despite hosting the 1938 World Cup. Whether Deschamps' squad can cement their status as the world's premier football powerhouse remains to be seen, but for now, all eyes remain fixed on Paris.