Deschamps Eagerly Awaits the Mbappé vs. Haaland Showdown as France and Norway Meet in Group I
Two of the world's best strikers, one group-stage clash — Deschamps can barely contain his excitement.
Both players are in stunning form this season — Mbappé is joint top scorer across Europe's top five leagues with 25 goals, while Haaland was the undisputed star of the UEFA qualifiers, scoring 16 goals in eight matches and leading Norway to the tournament as the continent's highest-scoring team.
"It will be a great match," Deschamps said. "Both teams have plenty of other big names, but Kylian and Haaland are two players recognized the world over. They will be among the main contenders for the Golden Boot."
France also open their group stage against Senegal on June 16 — a match that stirs uneasy memories of 2002, when a goal from Papa Bouba Diop eliminated the defending champions in the group stage. Deschamps isn't taking anything lightly. "This is one of the toughest groups, if not the toughest," he said, adding a dose of caution: "We have ambitions, but also the necessary humility. We need to show a strong performance from the very start, before thinking about what comes next."
At the moment, Opta rates France as the second most likely winner at 14%, behind Spain at 17%.