France's World Cup campaign has taken them to the semi‑finals, a stage they have reached four times in the past seven tournaments, having lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2018.
Captain Kylian Mbappe, who has already scored four goals in finals, stresses that the squad has not yet accomplished anything of note and that a victory in the championship match is the only way to cement their place among the tournament's all‑time greats.
The team's defensive record is equally striking; they have kept clean sheets throughout the knockout phase, while their attacking duo of Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have combined to become the first French pair to reach double‑digit goal tallies in a single edition.
Historic milestones
Historical context adds weight to their campaign. France joins an elite list of nations that have produced two players with at least five World Cup goals in the same tournament, a feat last achieved by Brazil's Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.
Mbappe is acutely aware that anything less than a final appearance would render the statistical milestones meaningless, underscoring the urgency of the upcoming match.