France Delivers a Depth-Friendly Warning to World Cup Giants in 3-1 Win Over Colombia

France Sends a Warning Shot Before the World Cup

France defeated Colombia 3-1 in a friendly on Sunday at the North-West stadium as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicking off on June 11 in Mexico City and concluding on July 19 in New York/New Jersey.

Coach Didier Deschamps rotated the squad, giving several second-choice players a run to rest the starters and to let a new generation prove its worth.

France lined up with Brice Samba in goal; a back four featuring Kalulu, Lacroix, Hernandez, and Digne; midfielders Kanté, Zaire-Emery and Akliouche; and a forward trio of Rayan Cherki, Desire Doué and Marcus Thuram.

Colombia started with Montero in goal, backed by a defense including Sánchez, Cabal and Mojica, with Ruiz, James Rodríguez and Lerma in midfield and Arias, Suárez and Luis Díaz up front.

France dominated and opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Desire Doué finished a build-up; then Marcus Thuram doubled the lead in the 41st. The French went into the break up 2-0.

In the second half, Doué added a third in the 56th minute before Jaminton Campaz pulled one back for Colombia in the 77th. France then brought on Kylian Mbappé in the 78th minute to rest Thuram; Mbappé even had a goal ruled out at 90+4 for offside.

With the win, France sent a strong message about its depth and flexibility heading into the World Cup, while Colombia continues to seek balance before the global tournament.

Mbappé’s cameo and France’s depth were among the bright notes, while the defense showed resilience as the pace intensified.

Punchline 1: If depth were a player, France just signed a 30-man contract.
Punchline 2: France's bench looked so stacked even the fireworks had stage fright.