Giroud backs Mbappe and Dembele to lead France to World Cup glory this summer

Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time record goalscorer with 137 international caps, has backed Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele to fire Les Bleus to World Cup glory in North America this summer, describing the pair as complementary leaders rather than competing egos.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Giroud was effusive about the attacking options available to coach Didier Deschamps, who again heads into a major tournament with one of the most formidable forward lines in international football. Dembele arrives as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, adding further star power to a squad already captained by Mbappe.

“The amount of strikers that we have and the level of talent in that dressing room is fantastic,” Giroud said. “The offensive talent France possesses is special.”

While the presence of two elite forwards might appear to create a selection headache, Giroud dismissed any suggestion of tension between the pair. “People talk about having multiple stars in a team and ask if they can work together but, listen, it’s a brilliant thing to have in a national team,” he said. “It’s also important to know that Ousmane and Kylian are very close — they love each other like brothers and they’re both great guys as well.”

Giroud, who attended seven major tournaments across a 14-year international career, believes the squad’s depth gives France every reason to target the title. “They can both lead the team this summer and, if we play to the level I know we can, and defend well on top of that, there’s no reason why we can’t go all the way with players like those two.”

This will be the first World Cup since 2010 that Giroud watches as a spectator rather than a participant, but he made clear his excitement at seeing Mbappe perform on the biggest stage. “He’s the kind of player you meet only once in a career. He’s a very special person. I hope to see him lifting that trophy again.”

France, who won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, enter the 2026 tournament among the favourites once more.