Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
Late goals, refereeing controversy, stunning upsets and two box office penalty shootouts – yesterday was everything the World Cup will always be about. Paraguay was probably the story of the day after it battled past European heavyweight Germany, while Brazil broke Japan’s heart at the death and Morocco dumped the Netherlands out on spot-kicks.
If today’s action is anywhere near the drama of yesterday, we’re in for another treat and will need some sort of spa resort to recover. The signs certainly look promising with two of the biggest superstars in action – France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland. We’ll also see co-host Mexico look to reach the last 16 when they face Ecuador in the jaw-dropping Estadio Azteca (I’m jealous of anyone who’s there tonight). But first, let’s talk about Les Bleus and why I’m also jealous of all their fans as well.
The Main Thing: Why is France considered such a heavy favorite?
Even before this tournament started, you probably heard people talk about France as being one of the heavy favorites for this World Cup. That bet looks even safer now as Les Bleus have taken this competition by storm.
