Paul Pogba is easily one of the most compelling players in the World Cup.
But how far can the electric midfielder lead France on the world’s biggest sports stage? Well, that remains to be seen.
Pogba and France begin their 2018 World Cup journey against Australia this Saturday (June 16) at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia at 6:00 a.m. EST on Fox Sports 1. Your best bet to live stream the event and all World Cup games is through Fubo TV.
Entering the tournament, France has a legitimate shot to make its sixth consecutive appearance in the World Cup its most memorable since winning it in 1998. Not to mention, the 25-year-old Pogba and 19-year-old defender Kylian Mbappé have the opportunity to showcase their skills and brand themselves as two of the best, most-dominating young soccer stars in the world.
Pogba might have to shoulder a larger load, considering Mbappé hurt his left ankle while being tackled by France defender Adil Rami on Tuesday, as reported by ESPN.
Mbappé downplayed it afterwards, telling L’Equipe that “it is nothing serious,”but whether the ankle injury will become a factor when the World Cup begins remains to be seen.
Following its opening match against Australia, France will continue its Group C play against Peru at 11:00 a.m. EST on Fox on June 21 followed by a clash with Denmark at 10:00 a.m. EST on Fox on June 26, wrapping up its pool competition.
Just like this World Cup serves as a platform for Pogba to etch his name amongst the sport’s best, it also presents somewhat of a proving ground for France manager Didier Deschamps. After being a captain on France’s World Cup-winning team in 1998, Deschamps managed France to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2014 and to the 2016 Euro final, where the squad was defeated by Portugal following extra time.
A World Cup victory would prove that he can also manage a team to a championship match … and get the job done by clinching it.
But before any possible title talk can spark, France will look to get off to a solid start against Australia this weekend.
How far do you think France can go in this 2018 World Cup?
