For England followers, the buildup to any main event is like Dr Johnson's well-known description of second marriage - 'the triumph of hope over expertise'.
They know that their facet's probabilities of successful the event are distant at finest - and but hope springs everlasting, nevertheless many occasions it has been dashed earlier than.
This yr's FIFA World Cup in Russia isn't any exception. How the English (secretly) envy these nations who even have a critical probability of successful the factor. Countries like Brazil, Argentina, 2010 winners Spain and holders Germany. Even England's Group G rivals Belgium appear to be likelier champions than the Three Lions, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard in their ranks.
Much as some England followers might hate to admit it, their previous rivals throughout the English Channel (or 'La Manche', relying on which facet of it you are on) even have an glorious probability of going all the way in which in Russia.
They is probably not the bookies' favourites, however listed here are six the reason why France may finish 20 years of damage and raise their second World Cup this summer season:
1. They've Been Steadily Improving Since Didier Deschamps Took Over
When Didier Deschamps was appointed supervisor of Les Bleus again in 2012, they regarded jaded and ineffectual, having succumbed to a brace of 2-Zero defeats in the European Championship.
Yet underneath Deschamps' steerage, they regarded far sharper in the 2014 World Cup, solely shedding 1-Zero to eventual winners Germany in the quarter-final. Two years later, they hosted the European Championship and reached the ultimate - defeating Germany 2-Zero on the way in which there.
If France's upward trajectory underneath Deschamps continues, he'll be part of an elite band of footballers to have gained the World Cup each as a participant and as a supervisor.
2. They Have an Experienced Captain & an Excellent Goalkeeper
At the danger of echoing Alan Hansen's notorious 'You cannot win something with youngsters' remark about Manchester United (who then gained the Double), it is extraordinarily tough to win a main worldwide event if all you have got is thrilling younger expertise. Experience is important, too.
That's the place Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris comes in - he is gained 97 caps for his nation.
He's additionally certainly one of Europe's extra reliable and constant keepers, and only a few sides have ever gained a main event with out a world class keeper. Only the Brazil facet of 1970 springs to thoughts - they usually have been simply extraordinary.
3. They Have Two of the Best Central Defenders in Europe
When Deschamps gained the World Cup as a participant, his facet's triumph was constructed on a just about impregnable defence. Now he can do the identical as a supervisor, thanks to Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti and Real Madrid's Raphaël Varane.
Umtiti helped Barca to win La Liga with ease final season, whereas Varane featured in 11 of Los Blancos' 13 UEFA Champions League matches as they gained their third successive Champions League trophy.
Both gamers are famous for his or her technical assurance, Umtiti is a very good tackler and reader of the sport, and Varane is unlikely to be outpaced by anybody in Russia.
4. They Have a Balanced Combination of Grit & Flair in Midfield
It's unattainable to overstate the significance of defensive midfielder N'Golo Kanté. He could also be unspectacular, however when he was at Leicester City, they gained the Premier League title in 2016. When he moved to Chelsea, Leicester all of a sudden regarded terrible - and the Blues gained the title.
This was no coincidence. Kanté made 175 tackles and 157 interceptions in the league in Leicester's title-winning season - greater than some other Premier League participant.
With Kanté alongside the mercurial, inventive expertise of Manchester United's Paul Pogba, France have a formidable central midfield duo - supplied that Pogba reveals some consistency in Russia.
5. They Also Have a World Class Goalscorer
As France proved in 1998, having a prolific ahead is not important for successful the World Cup. They gained all their knockout rounds with none of their forwards discovering the web - defenders Laurent Blanc and Lilian Thuram, and midfielders Zinedine Zidane and Emmanuel Petit, scored the required objectives.
Still, having a pure goalscorer cannot damage, and Atlético Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann suits the invoice completely. He's netted 20 objectives for his nation, successful the Golden Boot on the 2016 European Championship with six strikes. He'll even be determined to make up for his subpar show in the ultimate towards Portugal.
6. History Doesn't Favour Their Main Rivals
According to the newest odds, Brazil are the favourites to raise the World Cup, intently adopted by holders Germany. France are solely in third place.
However, solely certainly one of Brazil's 5 World Cup triumphs was in Europe. That was means again in 1958, when a 17-year-old prodigy referred to as Pelé burst onto the scene in Sweden. Since then, six World Cups have been held in Europe. In these tournaments, Brazil have reached the final 4 simply twice.
As for Germany, in the event that they win their second successive World Cup, they're going to grow to be the primary nation to obtain that feat since Brazil in 1962.