Benzema and Mbappe key for Les Bleus
France, Denmark have ambitions to go far in Group D
Les Blues were not convincing in qualifying and the Danes gave them a tough time in the Nations League
France and Denmark possess the obvious quality, and plenty of it, in Group D of the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Tunisia can provide problems and Australia might lack known stars but are always feisty on a global stage.
France
The defending champions were not convincing in qualifying and have been iffy in the Uefa Nations League (UNL) too, but on paper remain a contender for best team in the world. Didier Deschamps goes to Qatar as the longest-serving coach at the tournament, the 54-year-old seeking a third World Cup in his now 10-year tenure, having won one as a player (1998) and Russia 2018 as a coach.
They survived a group of death at Euro 2020 but were then shocked by Switzerland on penalties in the last-16.
But their 18 goals scored and three conceded in the qualifiers signal this is a team of superstars all round. The class of players who scored most of those goals (Antoine Griezmann got six, Kylian Mbappé five and Karim Benzema three) reinforces that.
Australia
Unlike their exciting Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka-led Socceroos coached by Guus Hiddink to the last-16 at Germany 2006, this is a pedestrian-looking Australia who squeezed through qualification.
Coach Graham Arnold’s side unsurprisingly easily topped Group B over Kuwait, Jordan and Nepal in Asia’s second round of qualifying. In the third round Australia (15 points) ended third in Group B behind Japan (22) and Saudi Arabia (23). They beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2-1 on aggregate in the Asian playoff and needed penalties (5-4) to edge Peru in the interconfederation playoff.
Denmark
Denmark were stronger than France in the Uefa qualifiers and are one of the teams who have given Les Bleus a tough time in the UNL, beating Deschamps’ team 2-0 in September, so could give the defending champions a run for their money for first place in Group D.
De Rød-Hvide (The Red and Whites) won nine and lost one game to top Uefa’s World Cup qualifying Group F with 27 points to Scotland’s 24. They won four and lost two in the 2022/2023 UNL.
Tounisian Youssef Msakni's winning goal against Nigeria in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Tunisia
There could be more than meets the eye to 50-year-old coach Jalel Kadri’s Carthage Eagles. Tunisia made tough work of Africa’s second-round Group B, having to beat Zambia 3-1 on the final day to progress because they lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea in the second-last match.
Tunisia are not thought of as one of Africa’s star-studded combinations going to Qatar. But Kadri has some classy players going to the World Cup.